‘We’re OK:’ N.S. beaches will have enough lifeguards on patrol this summer

As summer draws near, lifeguards are getting ready to watch over the beaches in Nova Scotia.

A water safety expert says the number of lifeguards still hasn’t recovered from the pandemic — so some staff will have to take on more shifts. But there is still some good news: they will have enough workers to patrol all 25 supervised beaches.

The Lifesaving Society of Nova Scotia’s special projects director says most lifeguard chairs will be filled in Nova Scotia over the coming months.

Paul D’Eon says their staffing numbers are still coming up short, but they’ll make do.

“We’re not in great shape but we’re OK,” he says. “We have most of our beaches staffed.”

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He says the beaches they supervise will have at least two lifeguards on patrol every day.

D’Eon says the profession is still recovering from the impact of COVID-19, when lockdowns caused staff to leave and gaps in training prevented new lifeguards from taking their place. That means resources continue to be stretched thin, prompting some creative solutions.

“Fewer days off. Supervisors filling in,” says D’Eon. “We have a couple of beaches that we’ve overstaffed. We can roll people into the understaffed ones. I think it’s going to work — we hope so — we’ll do our best.”

This year is better than the last two, he said, and he’s hopeful for the future.

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“For our beaches, we have about 90 lifeguards and HRM has that many as well,” D’Eon says. “There are approximately fifty beaches across the province that are supervised.”

In the meantime, there are several tips to help people keep safe on the water or in a pool this summer.

D’Eon says alcohol and activities on the water don’t mix; no one should ever swim alone – swim with friends; and parents and guardians should keep their kids close at all times.

“The latest thing is people on their phones not watching their kids,” he says. “No text message or email is worth taking your eyes off your kids.”

Over the weekend, lifeguards will return to duty at Aylesford Lake Beach in Kings County.

The service will launch at all other beaches on July 1.