The past few years have not been easy for public pools.
Across the country, the pandemic had a notable effect on lifeguards, swimming instructors and pools in general. A lack of classes and courses being held since the pandemic started, career lifeguards starting to retire and a change in work culture have conspired to mean the old ways of doing things just doesn害羞草研究所檛 fit anymore.
At Strathcona Gardens, a public pool in Campbell River, managers are doing their best to keep up.
The complex害羞草研究所檚 main pool, leisure pool and hot tub are closed Mondays and operate on different schedules for different days. The website says that the closure is due to staff shortages, but according to SRD HR manager, Laurie Gage, it害羞草研究所檚 a bit more nuanced than that.
害羞草研究所淚 think we have about just over 30 people employed in the Aquatic Department,害羞草研究所� Gage said. 害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 the mix between between full-time and part-time.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檝e got people who are working for us currently that prefer part-time,害羞草研究所� Gage said. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檇 love them to (move to) full-time, but they prefer to work part-time.害羞草研究所�
That害羞草研究所檚 not the only issue.
To be a lifeguard for the Strathcona Regional District, a person needs to take a number of courses. These include standard First Aid, CPR level C with AED (Automated External Defibrillator), Swim Instructor, and the National Lifeguard (NL) course. These courses themselves have prerequisites, like Bronze Cross.
Prospective lifeguards also have to be at least 15 years old. Three years ago when the pandemic started, many of the courses that were slated to run were cancelled. So were subsequent courses.
Then, to compound the perfect storm of issues, the people who teach the courses previously mentioned are also lacking.
Shaun Koopman is one of only a few people on north Vancouver Island certified to teach NL courses. Those NL courses are relatively easy to hold. The issue is having enough instructors available to teach them.
Specialized instructor training courses often need to happen in bigger centres. For those in Campbell River, the nearest course scheduled this spring takes place three hours away in Victoria in May. A guard taking that course would be off the deck for at least five days, would have to pay $375 to attened, as well figure out travel and lodging.
Koopman would like to see the provincial government help out.
害羞草研究所淪ay there害羞草研究所檚 a new NL instructor in Smithers,害羞草研究所� he said, 害羞草研究所渨hat害羞草研究所檚 the financial support look like for them to go to, let害羞草研究所檚 say, Terrace to do the mentorship course?
害羞草研究所淚 recently taught a nice lady from Gold River in my last course. She害羞草研究所檚 a mom and (her taking the course involved travel) back and forth every day; gas isn害羞草研究所檛 cheap and it害羞草研究所檚 an an extra two hours or wear and tear on the road,害羞草研究所� he said.
害羞草研究所淚 think anything that the senior levels of government can do to help subsidize that (would help.) Even if they just gave $500 for the National Lifeguard course itself. That would generally cover the cost of the course for somebody as well as almost any significant travel.害羞草研究所�
In all, the cost to become a lifeguard is roughly $1,500, by Koopman害羞草研究所檚 estimation. A $1,500 or so bursary would not be much for the province, but it would make a big difference to a 16-year-old.
害羞草研究所淧ools are a public space. We encourage everybody to go there to use it. It害羞草研究所檚 one of the few true public places that we have left that you could see anybody from any demographic there,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淏ut if there害羞草研究所檚 a cost barrier, you害羞草研究所檙e singling out your potential lifeguards.害羞草研究所�
Koopman, who is running a NL course in Gold River as a private contractor, got started in his current career in a pool. He says the benefits to being a lifeguard are many, and it can lead people into various rewarding careers, including overseas and across the country.
The thing is, it has to start somewhere.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e used my lifeguarding skills, probably four or five times in real life,害羞草研究所� he said, adding that it is one area where society actually trusts young people to take on real responsibilities.
害羞草研究所淲e don害羞草研究所檛 trust them to vote. We barely trust them to drive a car. And so it害羞草研究所檚 just such a huge confidence builder for them to take this course and learn about spine boards, oxygen therapy and deep water rescues.害羞草研究所�
The Lifesaving Society is offering one-day recertification courses to people with expired NL credentials.
Strathcona Gardens, like any pool, has its limits. Even in the best of times there is a maximum amount of people that are allowed to swim. For each guard on deck, there can be only 40 people in the pool.
Based on the current staffing level, the capacity of the pool is 120 in the leisure pool and hot tub area, and 120 in the main pool, and that is only when they can be fully staffed. Throughout their rotations, guards regularly do head counts and when the capacity is reached the front desk allows people in only when others leave.
害羞草研究所淭ypically, we see waits of about 15 minutes except for larger groups (6+) who may have to wait longer,害羞草研究所� the aquatics department said in an emailed response.
Capacity can also be capped depending on different programs in the pool.
The pandemic also brought on other shifts in how people want to work.
Gage, who runs the HR department for the entire SRD, said she害羞草研究所檚 seen more people prefer remote work and more flexible hours. There害羞草研究所檚 also a culture of safety that has arisen out of the pandemic, particularly about coming in to work sick.
害羞草研究所淚 think in the old days people would drag themselves to work when they were sick,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淧eople don害羞草研究所檛 do that now. We don害羞草研究所檛 want them to do that.害羞草研究所�
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marc.kitteringham@campbellrivermirror.com
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