By Cheryl Jahn

Red Cross moves out of swim lessons

Jun 16, 2022 | 3:08 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – The Aquatic Centre is a busy place, even in the middle of the afternoon. That’s because it has been picking up some of the load while the new Canfor Leisure Pool is being built. And the new pool will be picking the swim lessons programs once it opens, as the former Four Seasons Leisure Pool had for years.

“Within the Aquatics Division within the City, we’ve been offering Red Cross swimming lessons for as long as I can remember,” explains Jim Worthington, Manager of Aquatics for the City. “Probably for fifty years we’ve been offering the ‘Learn to Swim’ Program. It’s the Gold Standard for swimming lessons throughout British Columbia.”

But Red Cross has announced plans to divest itself of swimming lessons and there will be some changes in terms of who will be delivering the lessons.

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“Now that Red Cross is retiring their program, the Lifesaving Society is stepping in,” explains Worthington. “And it’s a full complement of swimming lessons.” The Lifesaving Society has been in the business of swim lessons all across the country for years. Except for BC.

“We have had a swim program in other provinces for over twenty years now,” explains Dale Miller the Executive Director for the Lifesaving Society’s BC and Yukon Branch. “We have not had it BC yet because we had an agreement with Red Cross that we wouldn’t get into ‘Learn to Swim’ if they didn’t get into lifeguard training.”

“For parents and for kids, they probably won’t notice too much of a difference in the program. Definitely at the lower levels,” says Worthington. “And as you work up into the higher levels, I would say there’s more of a focus on water safety because it does transition into the life-saving and life-guarding. So it’s meant to transition seamlessly.”

Training will take place for Aquatics staff before the transition takes place in the new year.