For decades, Red Cross Swimming Lessons badges have been a hallmark for young Canadians

After more than three-quarters of a century, the Red Cross is pulling the plug on swimming lessons. In January, the organization announced they will wind down their swim and lifeguarding programs at the close of 2022 in order to focus more on “surging humanitarian demands” in various locales around the globe.

The exception will be in First Nations communities where the training will continue as part of the Red Cross Indigenous Peoples Framework.

The Red Cross is encouraging its water safety training partners to transition to the swim and lifeguarding programs offered by the Lifesaving Society Canada through the course of this year.

The Martensville Aquatic Centre (MAC) has offered Red Cross water safety training since it opened. As a seasonal facility, the MAC will complete the 2022 season with the Red Cross program and transition to the Lifesaving Society program for the 2023 season.

Martensville Recreation and Community Services Director Ted Schaeffer anticipates a smooth transition.

“The Red Cross and the Lifesaving Society have been running programs side by side for a number of years,” said Schaeffer. “A lot of our instructors are trained in both, as water safety instructors. Our lifeguards and instructors are very capable of doing a quick transition.”

Red Cross programs will continue at the MAC through June, July and August this year.

Schaeffer said MAC swim programs are popular and typically run at capacity. Programs are available for preschoolers right up to high schoolers.

“There are equivalencies between the Red Cross program and the Lifesaving Societies program,” said Schaeffer.

Students who reached a certain level with a given program and then relocated to a different community have been able to pick up where they left off with either program. The same holds true for swimmers who will be transitioning from Red Cross programs to Lifesaving Societies programs.

Since 1946, the Red Cross has provided swim training and lifesaving skills to over 40 million Canadians. The decision to phase out water safety training marks the end of an era that began when drowning rates were considerably higher than they are today.

The Red Cross maintains a presence in over 300 communities in Canada. For many Canadians, taking swimming lessons was a memorable part of their childhood experience. The badges earned for each level of lessons completed became iconic over the Red Cross’ history.

There was a lot of pride involved in earning those badges and there will be a lot of nostalgia as that chapter of Red Cross history closes.

As Saskatchewanians approach the summer months and hope to leave COVID-19 behind, the great outdoors is calling. Recreation is increasingly on our minds. COVID has generated increased interest in staying local, investing in aquatic toys and spending time at the lake.

The Lifesaving Society Canada reported that 70 per cent of Saskatchewan drownings in 2020 occurred between the months of May to September. About 60 per cent of those drownings happened in a lake, river, pond or dugout. One hundred per cent of young adults and older adults who drowned were not wearing a personal flotation device. Of those who drowned while swimming, 25 per cent were weak swimmers or non-swimmers and 25 per cent were alone.

Swimming lessons are a significant life marker for some very good reasons. Learning to swim is a critical life skill. Lessons introduce a healthy respect for water that can last a lifetime.

The Martensville Aquatic Centre opens for the season on June 2 and features a Buster Days Swim Night.