Lifeguard shortage leaves Vancouver beach unstaffed part time as union calls on park board to rethink strategy
For two weekends in a row the lifeguard perch at Spanish Banks West has sat vacant.
And now, as Metro Vancouver approaches what could be a record-setting heatwave, the union that represents 100 or so lifeguards is expressing concern over an ongoing staffing shortage.
“On a day like today where there’s normally hundreds and hundreds of people out, you would normally add more guards to those spaces, not be stretching things thin,” CUPE 1004 President Andrew Ledger told CTV News on Sunday.
According to the city's park board, every morning an availability call goes out to auxiliary guards to supplement the full-time contracted staff.
But many days, it appears not enough of them are available.
Peter Fox, manager of recreation services for the Vancouver Park Board attributes the shortage to one other industries like restaurants are facing.
“People are making a choice about whether they want to come back to work in the industry,” Fox said.
He also noted some lifeguards may still be anxious about working during the pandemic, even with robust COVID-19 training and safety plans in place, while others have not returned to Vancouver.
Fox is hopeful that with schools and universities finishing their spring term, there will be more lifeguards returning and uptake on jobs that have been posted.
“It’s my hope we don’t find ourselves in this position the rest of summer,” Fox said, adding that while Spanish Banks West was unstaffed last Friday and Saturday, the park board was able to staff it Sunday.
Sunset Beach was also impacted by the shortage on Saturday, June 12.
In the meantime, the union that represents lifeguards wants the park board to consider closing an outdoor pool for a day, instead of leaving beaches unstaffed, because they are uncontrolled environments.
“Our guards are feeling the priorities of where they’re being dispatched to are leaving the public at risk,” Ledger said.
Though Fox said the park board also has a commitment to those who have purchased tickets and booked slots to enjoy one of Vancouver’s pools.
He added that the park board advises on its social media channels when a normally-guarded beach won’t have lifeguards onsite.
And for those unsure about their swimming abilities or the local conditions?
“Have a chat with the (lifeguards) about what’s safe and what isn’t,” Ledger said. “They’re the experts.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.