Staff running pools across Canada are trying to entice people to work as lifeguards amid a shortage, the Lifesaving Society says.

Pool and beach staffing can be somewhat challenging at the best of times, since the job often appeals to high school students between 16 to 18 who then leave to go away for post-secondary education, said Stephanie Bakalar, spokesperson for the Lifesaving Society Ontario.

But COVID-19 made things worse.

B次元官网网址淵ou have those couple of years where hardly anyone got certified because the pools (were) open a little bit here and there, but not consistently enough to be able to really plan and run all these (training) programs,B次元官网网址� Bakalar said.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not like we could just put everyone on Zoom and say, B次元官网网址極h, you could be a lifeguard,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淵ou need to be physically in the water.B次元官网网址�

On Friday, the Ontario government lowered the minimum age requirement for lifeguards from 16 to 15 years old in a move aimed at addressing the staffing shortage.

Municipal governments and recreation centres have been getting B次元官网网址渃reativeB次元官网网址� to attract more people to the job while still ensuring they meet the rigorous training required by the Lifesaving Society, Bakalar said.

Christine Pelletier, director of aquatics, fitness and health at Dovercourt Recreation Centre in Ottawa, said they had already hired 15-year-olds who had completed their certification and gave them jobs as assistant instructors until they turned 16.

Another strategy is to train and hire older swimmers, Pelletier said.

Sometimes theyB次元官网网址檙e people who are now retired and used to lifeguard when they were younger, she said.

B次元官网网址淥r (theyB次元官网网址檙e) people who are master swimmers who already have the swimming ability and maybe are looking to try something new, a new challenge to become a lifeguard for the first time in their lives.B次元官网网址�

Older adults who had been certified lifeguards in the past would just need to be re-certified, Pelletier said. Others who have the swimming ability could take the required lifeguard training on their own before theyB次元官网网址檙e examined so they wouldnB次元官网网址檛 have to take classes with B次元官网网址渁 bunch of 13-year-olds,B次元官网网址� she said.

There have been certified lifeguards in Canada who are around 80 years old, Bakalar said.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a minimum age, but thereB次元官网网址檚 no maximum age,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淎s long as you can meet all of those criteria and youB次元官网网址檙e physically able and you have the right judgment and skill, you can lifeguard and every two years youB次元官网网址檙e going to re-certify and re-demonstrate those skills.B次元官网网址�

Completing all the training to become a lifeguard can cost more than $1,000, so offering free training can be an important recruitment strategy, said Lenea Grace, executive director of the Lifesaving Society of BC and Yukon.

The Lifesaving Society provides lifeguards at BC Hydro-owned Buntzen Lake and Hayward Lake, she said, so the society covers the cost of their waterfront lifeguarding course, she said.

Municipalities such as New Westminster, B.C., recently offered paid training or scholarships B次元官网网址渢o help people attain the certifications they need,B次元官网网址� Grace said.

Such programs can help lower-income people who want to be lifeguards but B次元官网网址渕ay have had cost as a barrier,B次元官网网址� she said.

Not all Canadian municipalities are facing a lifeguard shortage.

In an emailed statement to The Canadian Press on Friday, the city of Toronto said it has recruited B次元官网网址渁pproximately 2,400 certified aquatic staff to supervise leisure and instructional programs at indoor and outdoor pools and waterfront beach operations.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淲hile City of Toronto programs have an appropriate complement of lifeguards ready for this summer B次元官网网址� thanks to all of the proactive work that has gone on in the background for the past two years to address the shortages created by the pandemic B次元官网网址� recruitment for all recreation staff, including lifeguards, remains ongoing,B次元官网网址� the statement said.

Nicole Ireland, The Canadian Press

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