Press Releases

Chilliwack, BC: The City of Chilliwack successfully utilizes a community development approach to recreation, which enables industry experts to provide high quality recreation services in response to community demand.

Over the last two years, a variety of health orders from the Provincial Health Officer have caused challenges for a number of industries, including municipal recreation services. Limited training opportunities for lifeguards due to health restrictions, restricted hours, and staff seeking stable employment elsewhere during the pandemic, have all contributed to lifeguard and swim instructor shortages across the province.

“During the pandemic, the City has worked with our service provider, Recreation Excellence, to continue to offer recreation services in compliance with provincial health orders,” said Mayor Popove. “Now that restrictions have been lifted, we are facing new challenges, specifically a shortage in lifeguards and swim instructors in our community, and are looking at a variety of ways to creatively solve this concern together.”

Recreation Excellence has looked closely at potential barriers and challenges to obtaining certification and has worked to address those concerns. For example, with lifeguard training course fees ranging from $400 -$500 per course, they have attempted to reduce that financial barrier by offering certification courses for reduced rates. Since the completion of the first course at a reduced rate, seven individuals have already applied for work at City of Chilliwack swimming pools.

On May 3, 2022, Chilliwack City Council approved a wage increase for lifeguards and swim instructors at the Cheam Leisure Centre, the Chilliwack Landing Leisure Centre, and the Rotary Pool, as an additional measure to attract and retain staff. Council has approved a wage increase from $15.80 per hour for qualified lifeguards and swim instructors at civic facilities to $22 per hour, and to $20 per hour for junior lifeguards that require supervision.

“When Recreation Excellence first signed on to operate recreation facilities in Chilliwack, there is no way they could have known that they would have to deal with a global pandemic and the many issues that came with it, including staffing shortages,” said Mayor Popove. “We hope this wage increase will help attract and retain qualified lifeguards and swim instructors in Chilliwack in order to help meet the needs of our growing community.”