Knowing how to swim is one thing. Knowing how to save lives is another. Learn first aid, water rescue skills, and drowning prevention strategies by taking a Lifesaving Society water rescue and lifesaving program!
Begin early by taking the Canadian Swim Patrol programs, which are excellent preparation for the Society’s famous Bronze Medals. The Bronze Medallion has been awarded in Canada since 1896!
Canadian Swim Patrol
Ready for something different than regular swim classes? Looking for a way to develop your swimming strength and efficiency? Rise to the challenge and get your Swim Patrol awards. The Canadian Swim Patrol Program is the on-ramp to lifeguarding geared towards swimmers between 8 and 12-years-old. Ability to swim is the only prerequisite! These awards prepare candidates for success in the Society’s Bronze medal awards.
Rookie
Rookie Patrol features development of front crawl, back crawl, and breaststroke over 50 m each, timed 100 m swims, and 350 m workouts. A work-hard/play-hard approach develops swimming strength and efficiency with emphasis on personal responsibility and Water Smart® behaviour.
Ranger
Ranger Patrol features development of front crawl, back crawl, and breaststroke over 75 m each, a 100 m lifesaving medley, and timed 200 m swims.
Star
Star Patrol demands good physical conditioning and lifesaving judgment. Participants develop lifesaving and first aid skills; further refine front crawl, back crawl, and breaststroke over 100 m each; and complete 600 m workouts and 300 m timed swims.
Bronze Medal Awards
The Canadian Lifesaving Program’s Bronze Medal Awards provides swimmers with a fun and exciting opportunity to learn valuable lifesaving, first aid, and Water Smart® skills and knowledge. Bronze Star, Bronze Medallion, and Bronze Cross are designed for swimmers ages 8-15, but it’s never
Bronze Star
The Lifesaving Society’s Bronze Star develops swimming proficiency, lifesaving skills, and personal fitness. Candidates refine their stroke mechanics, acquire self-rescue skills, and apply fitness principles in training workouts. Bronze Star is excellent preparation for success in Bronze Medallion and provides a fun introduction to lifesaving sport. Prerequisites: None.
Bronze Medallion
Bronze Medallion challenges the candidate both mentally and physically. Judgment, knowledge, skill, and fitness – the four components of water rescue – form the basis of Bronze Medallion training. Candidates acquire the assessment and problem-solving skills needed to make good decisions in, on, and around the water. Bronze Medallion is a prerequisite for assistant lifeguard training in Bronze Cross. Prerequisite: minimum 13 years of age or Bronze Star.
Bronze Cross
The Lifesaving Society’s Bronze Cross begins the transition from lifesaving to lifeguarding and prepares candidates for responsibilities as assistant lifeguards. Candidates strengthen and expand their lifesaving skills and begin to apply the principles and techniques of active surveillance in aquatic facilities. Bronze Cross emphasizes the importance of teamwork and communication in preventing and responding to aquatic emergencies. Prerequisite: Bronze Medallion.
Bronze Cross is a prerequisite for National Lifeguard and Lifesaving Instructor.
Junior Lifeguard Club
The Junior Lifeguard Club (JLC) offers serious fun for children and youth 8-years-old and up. The Junior Lifeguard Club provides an action-packed challenge for kids who love the water but who want more than “lessons”.
The JLC focuses on fun and developing skills using personal-bests to determine achievement. You can get better at your swimming skills, lifesaving skills and fitness, leadership, and teamwork skills. You can also train for competitions, and work on special events.
Distinction
The Lifesaving Society’s advanced lifesaving award Distinction encourages a maturity of response and provide challenging opportunities to demonstrate exceptional lifesaving ability an leadership.
The Lifesaving Society’s Distinction award encourages a maturity of response to demanding aquatic emergency situations and is designed to develop advanced water rescue skill and knowledge, and an understanding of the principles of fitness training. Distinction challenges include implications of assuming responsibility in an emergency, how to deal with two victims at once, and rescue of a non-breathing spinal-injured victim. Inherent in the name of the award, lifesavers must perform every item with distinction. Prerequisite: Bronze Cross.