Toronto cancels dozens of city swimming courses amid a shortage of swimming instructors and lifeguards.
The city says it will start canceling 169 courses as of today, as swimming instructors cannot be confirmed. The relocation will affect about 1,140 participants.
“We will contact the registered individuals individually and they will be offered a full refund or loan under the program if a suitable replacement program is not found,” the city said in a statement.
According to the city, staff shortages are caused by delays in certification affecting lifeguards and swimming instructors in North America. Mandatory certification and re-certification programs have been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The city said it has been working since January to hire “increased-rate” staff and facilitate safe certification to tackle the backlog, and that efforts are expected to continue over the summer to train more staff.
But while 196 instructors were hired to teach the 1919 course, some gaps still remain.
“Every effort has been made to minimize cancellations and, where possible, staff combine programs with low registration numbers and allocate staff to programs in greater demand,” the city said.
“In addition, staff will register participants in alternative programs nearby if there is a vacancy. Staff often rebalance classes in this way after registration. “
It takes over 100 hours of training to become a lifeguard and an additional 40 hours of training to become a swimming instructor.
Earlier this month, Mayor John Torrey called on qualified residents to apply for a lifeguard or swimming instructor to help reduce the gap.
The city says there are currently 700 lifeguards, enough to control all of its 55 swimming pools and up to 10 of its beaches. The full schedule of operations in Toronto’s public outdoor pools is set to begin on June 30.
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