PRINCE ALBERT — Recreation Co-ordinator for Aquatics Lauren Haubrich provided City Council with some information on the Swim to Survive Program and the new City of Prince Albert Lifeguard Scholarship, two examples of ways in which the City can train and keep aquatics staff during a nationwide lifeguard and instructor shortage.
“Committing to retaining current City of Prince Albert lifeguards is an ongoing process,” said a report by Haubrich. “Providing a variety of training opportunities, the ability to contribute to meaningful work, and flexible work schedules have meant that the City of Prince Albert is one of the few municipalities that are back to pre-pandemic programming times.”
Since 2009, the City and the Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division have partnered together to provide an educational opportunity for students of Carlton Comprehensive Public High School. Students who are trained Lifesaving Instructors can earn a Work Exploration A30/B30 high school credit while teaching the Swim to Survive program in the Frank J. Dunn Pool to children in grades four and five that attend “Schools of Opportunity” in Prince Albert.
According to the report, over 4,100 students have participated in the program since it was launched, with over 70 Carlton students working as swimming instructors.
During a presentation at Monday’s Executive Committee meeting, Haubrich said that 44 per cent of participants in the 2022-2023 year were able to complete the Swim to Survive Challenge set out by the Lifesaving Society, which she described as a minimum skill standard that any Canadian must have to survive an unexpected fall into deep water. This standard is comprised of three skills, which include being able to roll into deep water, tread water for one minute, and swim 50 meters.
“In 2022, when we returned to do the swimming program after the COVID-19 pandemic, we assessed and found that only one in four kids in grade four and grade five were able to pass that standard,” said Haubrich. “This year now, because grade five students got to return… we’ve almost doubled that.”
An analysis of the results of children and schools that participated in the program in 2022-2023 shows that children who were able to complete the Swim to Survive Standard increased by 22 per cent from the previous year, according to Haubrich’s report.
“[I’m] very proud of this program,” said Coun. Tony Head. “It creates a lot of value for our City, as our children going through this program are job ready by the end of their school career working for the aquatics team.”
Once the City of Prince Albert’s Aquatic and Arenas Recreation Centre is open for public use, the Swim to Survive Program will continue in the new facility. This will allow for more accessible pool time for schools and may open the program to other divisions like Prince Albert Catholic School Division and Conseil des écoles fransaskoises, as well as allowing more instructors to earn a high school credit.
The Swim to Survive School Program has garnered international recognition, with Haubrich receiving an invitation to present at the 2023 World Conference on Drowning Prevention to share about the successes of the program.
Along with the Swim to Survive program, Haubrich also provided Council details on the new Lifeguard Scholarship that was made possible thanks to a commitment of $5,000 over the next five years by previous instructor and current lifeguard Joden Haubrich.
“Joden has been a casual employee of the City since 2012 and has held various roles,” read the report. “She considers the opportunities and training provided to her as a lifeguard at the Frank J. Dunn Pool and Kinsmen Water Park a large reason for her success in her current career.”
The Community Services department will match Joden’s donation, increasing the scholarship total to $2,000 per year over the next five years.
During her presentation, Haubrich mentioned that out of the last five valedictorians for Carlton High School, four of them were City lifeguards.
To be eligible for the Lifeguard Scholarship, individuals must:
• Be employed by the City of Prince Albert in the aquatic department.
• Enrolled in a post-secondary program at least two years in length, starting the following school term.
• Has worked a minimum of 400 hours within the last 12 months.
• Has not received the COPA Lifeguard Scholarship before.
• Has achieved and demonstrated academic excellence:
• High school average of at least 80 per cent.
• Post-Secondary program average of at least 70 per cent.
Students who received the City’s Lifeguard Scholarship will be recognized for their achievements through a congratulatory media release, a plaque to be displayed at the new Aquatics Centre and inclusion at the Annual City Managers awards or at the summer ceremony at the Kinsmen Water Park.
