West Vancouver introduces lifeguard incentive program to mitigate staff shortage

West Vancouver has created an incentive training program in an attempt to tackle the ongoing lifeguard shortage.

The incentive for prospective lifeguards offers the required training — worth $1,000 — for free under a new program.

“The demand in our community is definitely there,” Jill Lawlor, Senior Manager of Community Services for the District of West Vancouver, told CityNews. “Sundays we have been closed, and we are trying to figure out what we’re going to do for our summer. Because with 32 staff, we don’t have enough to open both beaches seven days a week. We’re also struggling to meet those swimming lessons.

“So we’re hoping that this is going to be the answer for us and that we’ll have that opportunity to serve and hire some of these certified people that are interested in becoming lifeguards with us.”

In 2019, the District of West Vancouver had about 100 lifeguards going into the summer. Now, they have just 32 to oversee beaches and pool and run swimming lessons.

“We were struggling over the past year to fill all of our lifeguard positions and we were struggling to have enough staff,” Lawlor said. “To attract and get more people involved … we came up with this plan to target the last couple of weeks when school lets out and the first little bit of July where we thought there might be some availability and people’s schedules.”

Applications opened about over a week ago and close June 6th. So far there have been 68 applications to the Lifeguard Recruitment Program. This program also promises an interview with the District the day after the course is done.

West Vancouver is not the only municipality struggling to find lifeguards. The City of Vancouver’s job posting appears to be looking for several staff, shortlisting candidates for screening dates later this month.

In Surrey, locals can find notices warning about shorter hours because there aren’t enough lifeguards. Four pools are open in the city, but the South Surrey Pool has closed. But the city says Crescent Beach is close to being fully staffed.

“As of May 31, 2022, 67% of staff have returned or been newly hired. It is anticipated that approximately 168 additional lifeguard staff will need to be recruited to reach pre-pandemic capacity and allow us to fully operate safely,” a statement from the Parks, Recreation & Culture in Surrey reads.

Lawlor encourages young British Columbians looking for a rewarding job to get trained and start working as a lifeguard in the Metro Vancouver region.

“We’re not the only municipality that is struggling with lifeguards. So I encourage everyone who’s interested in lifeguarding to take this as a great opportunity. Lifeguarding is a wonderful skill. It’s a chance to develop judgment, decision making, teamwork, and it’s a really fun job,” she said.