Lifeguard shortage prompts early closure of Vancouver pool during heat wave

Just one day after its highly anticipated reopening, as a heat wave continues to scorch the city – a popular Vancouver pool is being closed early due to a staff shortage.

Kitsilano Pool reopened Saturday after damage sustained when a winter storm and king tide battered the waterfront in January. On Sunday, the Vancouver Park Board announced it would be closing three hours early due to lack of available lifeguards.

"We are making every effort to guard our outdoor swim areas this long weekend, especially given the heat. Due to challenges with lifeguard availability, we have to close Kits Pool early today at 5:15 p.m.," the board said in a tweet.

"Reservations will be refunded. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience."

When announcing the reopening, the board said capacity would have to be cut back. The number of people allowed in the pool at any given time, the board told CTV News last week, is based on a lifeguard-to-swimmer ratio and not on the size of the pool. While drop-ins are allowed, the board was encouraging people who wanted to guarantee their chance to cool off with a dip to reserve a spot in advance.

The Vancouver Aquatic Centre was also shuttered Sunday, with the board citing road closures due to the Pride parade as one reason and lack of staff as another.

We are making every effort to guard our outdoor swim areas this long weekend, especially given the heat.

Due to challenges with lifeguard availability we have to close Kits Pool early today at 5:15pm. Reservations will be refunded. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.

— Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation (@ParkBoard) July 31, 2022

A shortage of available lifeguards and swim instructors has forced cities in Metro Vancouver to limit programs and pool capacity while they search for staff.

The shortage of qualified workers to fill these jobs is something municipalities across Canada have been grappling with, citing a pandemic-induced pause on certification programs as the key reason.

In Vancouver, these programs being limited or cancelled entirely has created a "two-year delay between potential new hires for lifeguards and swim instructors and current staff," according to an email from a city spokesperson earlier this month.

"The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation is aware that pool capacity is an ongoing concern at many of the aquatic facilities as residents look to book times for their activities," the spokesperson wrote.

In Surrey, the city has a warning posted on its website for anyone looking to register for summer programs.

"Due to a shortage of lifeguards, swim instructors, and aquafit instructors, we can only offer a limited amount of aquatic programs. Your continued patience is appreciated as we work towards hiring and training staff to restart normalized operations," it says.

The Lifesaving Society's B.C. and Yukon branch publishes annual statistics on how many people have completed certification courses. In its 2021 annual report, the organization says it is "not quite back to pre-pandemic educational capacity."

National Lifeguard certification is required to get a job at a city pool, beach or waterpark. In 2019, there were 5,188 of these issued. In 2020, there were only 2,570. Last year there were 4,607.

In order to pursue that level of certification, a Bronze Cross is required. In 2019, there were 3,401 of those issued. In 2020, the number plummeted to 919. Last year, there were 2,653.