The push to reopen pools after a year of missed swimming lessons

Michelle Clements has always been comfortable around the water.

The mother of two children, aged 10 and eight, said she wanted to make sure her kids have the same water safety skills and confidence.

“To me, swimming was always a safety thing,” said Clements. “From ice and water, cold water, to just being able to survive on your own getting into the water.”

Clements has been taking her children to the pool since they were babies. They started in the Red Cross swimming programs and before the pandemic, her son joined a swim club. Her daughter started private lessons.

It’s been more than a year since both have had any sort of instruction.

“We’ve been to the pool once since the pandemic.”

Clements said during that one swim session, her children seemed to be more nervous and their skills regressed. Her son didn’t feel comfortable in the deep end and her daughter refused to take off her life jacket.

Kelly Carter, CEO of Lifesaving Society Alberta and Northwest Territories branch, said its critical children return to pools.

“We have a huge concern.”

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Carter said the United Kingdom has estimated up to a million children missed out on swimming lessons last year — and that could put them at risk.

“We haven’t done the numbers here in Canada yet,” said Carter, “but it’s going to be a pretty significant number when you think across Canada how many children didn’t get to participate in swimming lessons.”

Carter stressed it is even more critical as the weather warms up and families are headed outdoors.

With public health restrictions in place, Carter said more people are visiting provincial parks and doing recreation activities near water.

Summer 2020 was a tragic eye-opener.

“Last summer we saw a significantly higher number of media-reported drownings than the previous years.

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“We don’t want to have a generation that grows up without access to water where they haven’t learned these water safety skills and puts them at future risk.”

The Lifesaving Society and Swim Alberta have teamed up and launched a campaign called “We are Ready.”

It dives into COVID-19 facts around pool safety and protocols, and both groups said there haven’t been any scientific reports to date linking the spread of COVID-19 to water in pools, hot tubs or other properly treated waterparks.

“These are often supervised by national lifeguards so there are controls in place,” Carter said. “They’re constantly disinfected environments and there’s been no transmission that we’re aware of to date in regards to chlorinated swimming pools.”

While some swim programs with one-on-one training and private lessons have been able to continue in Alberta, Carter said the majority of pools have remained closed.

“There’s a bit of inequity there,”  said Carter, when he referred to families paying for private coaching and getting access to pools and others being shut out.

While out camping this summer, Clements said she knows her daughter will be playing by the water.

“That’s as a mom, just safety-wise, terrifying because I know she’s not going to wear a life jacket running around by water.”

Clements believes those safety reminders taught in structured lessons could prevent more drownings and just like riding a bike, she thinks every child should learn to be safe in and around the water.

“To me it’s always been a life skill that every kid should have the opportunity to have.”