A new club is forming in Tofino to prevent drownings and critical injuries on local beaches.
Krissy Montgomery and Laura Lunty presented the plan to TofinoB次元官网网址檚 municipal council during Aug. 20B次元官网网址檚 regular meeting suggesting the freshly launched Tofino Surf Lifesaving Club was struck to help increase safety in local surf zones.
Montgomery is the owner of Surf Sister, a CoastSmart Ambassador and . She said she has been involved in the local surf industry for over 20 years and spoke to the lobbying efforts, including petitions, urging the federal government to return the former surf guard program to Long Beach, which was lost in 2012.
Long Beach is within the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve and not TofinoB次元官网网址檚 jurisdiction and Montgomery suggested that while a top-down approach with petitions to the federal government has not brought lifeguards to Long Beach, a ground-up approach could bring lifeguards to TofinoB次元官网网址檚 local beaches through the launch of the new Tofino Surf Lifesaving Club.
B次元官网网址淭his is all very new. WeB次元官网网址檝e only been working on this for about a month from the side of our desks,B次元官网网址� she said, adding the clubB次元官网网址檚 mission statement is B次元官网网址淭o educate and promote ocean safety across TofinoB次元官网网址檚 beaches by providing education, training and equipment.B次元官网网址�
She said four key areas of focus are to prevent drowning and injuries, foster lifesaving culture through training and education, provide beaches with lifesaving equipment and empower beachgoers to enjoy Tofino safely.
She added that long-term goals include employing seasonal lifeguards, developing a youth program as well as building public safety kiosks and storage sheds for equipment.
B次元官网网址淥ur dream vision would be to eventually have a clubhouse where we could meet, assemble as a club and practice,B次元官网网址� she said.
Lunty suggested the clubB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址済eneral plan of attackB次元官网网址� is to raise awareness in the upcoming fall months with the hope of providing training and certifications for members in the spring of 2025 and have a beach ambassador program in place by next summer.
B次元官网网址淭his fall weB次元官网网址檙e hoping to sort of drop the bomb about what weB次元官网网址檙e doing, have a membership drive and establish key partnerships,B次元官网网址� she said.
She added they are working on a website and hope to have membership meetings and a beach ambassador program starting in the winter.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e hoping to have our members volunteer next summer on the beach during peak surf hours to advise visitors and locals about safe zones,B次元官网网址� she said.
She added they are collaborating with Parks Canada to strike a similar Coastal Steward program and to create public safety campaigns and also provide B次元官网网址渁 face on the beach if visitors have questions about a safe zone to surf or play in the ocean.B次元官网网址�
Montgomery said the club is hoping to work with the district on improved beach safety infrastructure like safety kiosks and lifesaving equipment as well as program advertising in the recreation guide and use of the community hall for meetings.
She added funding will also be necessary for programming and training en route to a seasonal lifeguard staff.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 going to be so essential. The first couple of years, the way we see most of the funding being used would be running as many training programs as possible just so that we can get our membership base up to par, eventually leading on weB次元官网网址檙e hoping to switch our funding more so to incorporate paid, seasonal lifeguards at local beaches,B次元官网网址� she said.
B次元官网网址淲e wanted to give you guys a heads up because as weB次元官网网址檙e building the bones of this club we realize how important it is to have partnerships established with everybody.B次元官网网址�
Lunty added the club is also seeking guidance and suggestions from council on different avenues for support.
B次元官网网址淭hese are our best ideas, but weB次元官网网址檇 be really interested in hearing what your thoughts were and how we can work together. I think weB次元官网网址檙e just ready to see some action in this area,B次元官网网址� she said.
The townB次元官网网址檚 council seemed unanimously thrilled with the idea.
B次元官网网址淚 think that this is fantastic,B次元官网网址� said Coun. Sarah Sloman.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 great to see a volunteer organization caring and doing great things for the community and weB次元官网网址檒l look to support it as much as we can,B次元官网网址� added Coun. Al Anderson.
B次元官网网址淚t really does take a community champion to bring that forward,B次元官网网址� said Coun. Tom Stere. B次元官网网址淭hank you for taking this on.B次元官网网址�
Stere suggested the group take a more regional approach rather than just relying on Tofino specifically.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 Tofino Lifesaving Club and itB次元官网网址檚 very geographically specific. I wonder if thereB次元官网网址檚 been any thought within the club so far of broadening out to a more regional approach where we might be able to look at bringing in the ACRD for example and the District of Ucluelet in terms of those partnerships and collaboration and potentially expanding the scope of the operation.B次元官网网址�
Lunty responded that the team is focusing on Tofino to get started in a realistic and feasible way without pursuing a larger, region-wide goal out of the gate .
B次元官网网址淲e thought we would narrow in on our local beaches, but be completely open to working with other agencies. If Ukee wanted to start up a club, weB次元官网网址檇 be more than happy to give them all of the work that weB次元官网网址檝e done and pass it on. We just wanted to try to stay attainable to start, but weB次元官网网址檙e definitely open to partnerships and growing bigger,B次元官网网址� she said.
B次元官网网址淲e really want to start it community driven. We want to have buy-in from members who are living here year-roundB次元官网网址次元官网网址淲e want it to feel organic and not that weB次元官网网址檙e pushing it on every single municipality or beach.B次元官网网址�
Coun. Duncan McMaster expressed support for the plan, but added he would be interested to see how the insurance process plays out.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a great idea and I wish you all the success. ItB次元官网网址檚 been a long time coming,B次元官网网址� he said.
Montgomery responded they have researched and reached out to various insurance companies and reiterated that the initial approach would be land-based education and outreach.
B次元官网网址淲e are not lifeguards. We are not going to be lifeguarding at the beaches anytime soon until a few more things fall into place,B次元官网网址� she said.
The lifesaving club plans to launch a membership drive during TofinoB次元官网网址檚 Queen of the Peak surf competition at the end of September.
