As pools in Montreal reopen, lifeguard shortages continue to occur. Last year alone, Quebec was down 3,000 lifeguards from its previous season which, unfortunately, meant certain pools and beaches had no choice but to operate on limited hours. This year, the trend persists.
To cope with the lifeguard shortages in the province, the government of Quebec put aside $4.3 million to enable free lifeguard trainings. According to Raynald Hawkins, executive director of the Lifesaving Society’s Quebec branch, the solution seems to he working. “We have 40 percent more candidates,” he said in an interview.
Not only does lifeguarding provide the perfect summer job for big and small, but it also teaches great life skills. “You have knowledge of CPR and like treating for shock, so if someone is hyperventilating, you know how to treat them,” said Mackenzie Patrouille, a course trainee.
More details on the free training can be found here.
