HRM offers free lifeguard course for residents

Residents of Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) can now receive free lifeguard certification, the city announced last week.

The announcement is in line with the municipality’s Rural Recreation Strategy, released last year, which identified barriers to accessing recreation opportunities in HRM’s rural communities.

“It’s increasingly difficult to get rural people trained because there’s no year-round facilities there and they can’t enter programs,” said Paul D’Eon, special projects director of the Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service.

“Anything that helps increase those numbers is going to be a good thing.” 

D’Eon said many pools have to shut down during the summer due to a shortage of lifeguard staff. 

Pat McGrath, HRM’s manager of aquatics and inclusion, says the course is designed to fill in as many lifeguarding gaps as possible in the community.

“The idea is we’re just trying to reduce all the barriers as possible so that people can learn to swim and become lifeguards.” 

A lifeguard shortage in HRM developed when training was paused during the Covid-19 pandemic, because beaches and pools were closed or access was restricted.

Mike Melenchuk, executive director of the Lifesaving Society of Nova Scotia, said that while the number of certified lifeguards in Halifax and Sydney has bounced back since the pandemic, rural areas still struggle with staffing. He says a program like this could increase available lifeguards across HRM.

“When a larger affiliate like HRM decides to offer these courses at little or no cost, it has so many positive impacts on rural communities,” Melenchuk said.

“HRM is spending time and resources to get people to the right places so that they can go to a pool and learn the skills that are necessary.”

The course trains lifeguards for pools. It can be a stepping stone to earning certification for beach lifeguarding, with additional training available in the summer.

Applicants to the training program must be at least 15, with priority given to applicants in the HRM’s rural areas. Sessions will be held in Musquodoboit Harbour, Sackville Sports Stadium and online.

Free transportation to the training sessions will be available. The sessions begin on Nov. 15.