Toronto cancelling 169 swimming lessons due to lifeguard shortage

The City of Toronto has been forced to cancel 169 swimming lessons due to a shortage of lifeguards available to teach them.

In a release Wednesday, the City said the shortage of lifeguards would not affect the staffing of any pools and beaches and will not affect the schedules of their opening.

Certification of lifeguards was paused during the COVID-19 pandemic, creating a lack of qualified lifeguards to take on these roles for the summer and affecting jurisdictions across North America.

The City previously told CityNews they had already hired over 70 per cent of the lifeguards needed to run programs for the summer, but had a contingency plan in place should they face a shortage.

“One of the things that we would never do, though, is compromise public safety, and therefore, we will meet whatever the required standards are in terms of the level of supervision required at each location in order to open it so that would never be adjusted,” Howie Dayton, director of community recreation, said at the time.

Due to lifeguard shortages, they have been forced to cancel swimming lessons due to not having enough swim instructors to teach them, affecting approximately 1,140 participants.

Registrants are being contacted and offered either a full refund or a program credit if a suitable replacement program is not found.

Another 1,919 courses will go ahead as planned this summer for nearly 11,400 participants.

The City has been working to fast-track instructor training through expedited courses in June and July.

The City plans to open all 55 swimming pools and 10 beaches with 700 lifeguards ready to keep them safe by June 30. Wading pools will also be open at that time.