Ontario lowers minimum age for lifeguards to 15 to ease staff shortages

Ontario has lowered the minimum age requirement to become a lifeguard to 15 years old.

The age requirement was previously 16 years, and the change is meant to address staffing shortages across the province.

The province says the change aligns with updated requirements from the Lifesaving Society’s certification course.

Health Minister Sylvia Jones says the lowered age will help keep community pools and recreational camp waterfronts open and safe.

“We know that our programs account for maturity and judgment, which is necessary to be a lifeguard,” Stephanie Bakalar, corporate communications manager for the Lifesaving Society Ontario, said back in April when the proposal was opened up for public comment.

“So our lifeguards and instructors have to show physical, cognitive and emotional maturity, and we’ve designed our program to account for that.”

Not every person, regardless of age, will necessarily start working right away as a lifeguard, but Bakalar said the numbers of certifications are up, and allowing 15-year-olds to work as lifeguards will be a “good step” toward addressing staff shortages.

Last summer, as with so many other sectors, lifeguarding saw pandemic-induced staffing crunches. COVID-19-related closures meant the Lifesaving Society couldn’t run its certification courses, so the flow of new lifeguards dried up, and some lifeguards moved on to other opportunities during the pandemic.

Bakalar said municipalities and other swim programs have been getting “creative” in their recruitment efforts, such as targeting retired swimmers and stay-at-home parents who can fill trickier daytime slots.

The number of lifeguard certifications is still down about 20 per cent from 2019 levels, but they have been rebounding quickly since the lowest levels in 2020, Bakalar said.

Being able to keep pools open and run swimming lessons is vital for water safety, Bakalar said.

“Learning to swim is an essential skill to prevent drowning, and the Lifesaving Society’s mission is to prevent drownings in Canada,” she said.

“So we want all people to take traditional swimming lessons, at a minimum, take survival swimming lessons called Swim to Survive. These are things that are going to keep your family and yourself safe.”

The lowered age also applies to becoming an assistant lifeguard and an aquatic instructor.