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含羞草研究社檛 fit anymore.

At Strathcona Gardens, a public pool in Campbell River, managers are doing their best to keep up.

The complex含羞草研究社檚 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含羞草研究社檚 a bit more nuanced than that.

含羞草研究社淚 think we have about just over 30 people employed in the Aquatic Department,含羞草研究社� Gage said. 含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 the mix between between full-time and part-time.

含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檝e got people who are working for us currently that prefer part-time,含羞草研究社� Gage said. 含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檇 love them to (move to) full-time, but they prefer to work part-time.含羞草研究社�

That含羞草研究社檚 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.

含羞草研究社淪ay there含羞草研究社檚 a new NL instructor in Smithers,含羞草研究社� he said, 含羞草研究社渨hat含羞草研究社檚 the financial support look like for them to go to, let含羞草研究社檚 say, Terrace to do the mentorship course?

含羞草研究社淚 recently taught a nice lady from Gold River in my last course. She含羞草研究社檚 a mom and (her taking the course involved travel) back and forth every day; gas isn含羞草研究社檛 cheap and it含羞草研究社檚 an an extra two hours or wear and tear on the road,含羞草研究社� he said.

含羞草研究社淚 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.含羞草研究社�

In all, the cost to become a lifeguard is roughly $1,500, by Koopman含羞草研究社檚 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.

含羞草研究社淧ools are a public space. We encourage everybody to go there to use it. It含羞草研究社檚 one of the few true public places that we have left that you could see anybody from any demographic there,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淏ut if there含羞草研究社檚 a cost barrier, you含羞草研究社檙e singling out your potential lifeguards.含羞草研究社�

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.

含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檝e used my lifeguarding skills, probably four or five times in real life,含羞草研究社� he said, adding that it is one area where society actually trusts young people to take on real responsibilities.

含羞草研究社淲e don含羞草研究社檛 trust them to vote. We barely trust them to drive a car. And so it含羞草研究社檚 just such a huge confidence builder for them to take this course and learn about spine boards, oxygen therapy and deep water rescues.含羞草研究社�

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.

含羞草研究社淭ypically, we see waits of about 15 minutes except for larger groups (6+) who may have to wait longer,含羞草研究社� 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含羞草研究社檚 seen more people prefer remote work and more flexible hours. There含羞草研究社檚 also a culture of safety that has arisen out of the pandemic, particularly about coming in to work sick.

含羞草研究社淚 think in the old days people would drag themselves to work when they were sick,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淧eople don含羞草研究社檛 do that now. We don含羞草研究社檛 want them to do that.含羞草研究社�

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marc.kitteringham@campbellrivermirror.com
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