pls do not confuse "legal" with moral or ethical
thank you for your attention to this matter
Vancouver parents blocked from teaching their kids to swim in public pools
Frustrated parents say enforcement of a vague city policy has prevented them from teaching their own children to swim, even as demand for lessons far outstrips supply
When Hailey Arthur took her seven-year-old daughter Zoey to the Kensington Community Centre pool in East Vancouver last month, the pair were eager to get in the water. Arthur, 35, wanted Zoey, whom she describes as a “non-swimmer,” to feel more confident before starting swim camp there.
For about 20 minutes, the two practised floats and glides in the shallow end. Then, Arthur says, a lifeguard told her she couldn’t continue.
“She said it looked too much like a lesson and that I can’t teach during public swim,” said Arthur, a former lifeguard. “I was confused. I can’t teach my own daughter how to swim at a public pool?”
Arthur said the lifeguard threatened to ask her to leave if she persisted. The encounter left Arthur unsettled and Zoey asking why she couldn’t learn from her mum.
“My daughter didn’t want to go back to the pool,” the mother said.
The incident reflects a growing frustration among Vancouver parents, who say enforcement of a vague city policy has prevented them from teaching their own children to swim, even as demand for lessons far outstrips supply. Postmedia has spoken with several families who say they have faced similar enforcement of the city’s swim lesson policy.
“If the only way our kids can learn to swim is through paid city lessons, and there aren’t enough lifeguards to teach them, many children won’t learn — and that’s a scary situation,” said Arthur.
In a statement, the Vancouver park board said, “Parents are welcome to support and guide their children at our pools. However, organized and structured private swim instruction, including formal lessons, is not permitted unless it is provided by authorized aquatics staff or through an approved private business.”
The board explained that anyone offering formal swim instruction at a public pool must meet liability standards, including holding a municipal business licence and insurance that meets park board requirements. “These standards help ensure that all instruction is delivered safely, consistently, and in alignment with facility guidelines.”
In Vancouver, how the policy is enforced varies. Tia Jayne, a nanny, said she has been able to teach multiple children to swim at Britannia, Templeton and Kitsilano pools.
“I have been directly asked (by a lifeguard) if I was a private instructor. When I have explained that I am a nanny, I have never had an issue or been asked to stop,” said Jayne.
Vancouver mother Stephanie Schick said she was shocked to hear that her 17-year-old daughter’s friend was told she violated the policy while showing her some breaststroke tips at UBC Aquatic Centre.
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“It’s ludicrous considering it’s often very difficult to even get your child into swimming lessons,” said Schick. “Her friend got in trouble, and her name was recorded as having violated this policy.”
The rules across Metro Vancouver vary widely. At public pools in Langley City, swimming lessons can only be taught by city staff.
“Parents and guardians are not allowed to teach their own children or youth,” a city spokesperson told Postmedia. “Private lessons are offered by the city only, and we do not allow any other entity or certified instructors to teach at our pool.”
In West Vancouver, the rules around teaching one’s children how to swim are less clear.
“Parents are welcome to swim with their children and share their own knowledge. However, if the interaction resembles a professional lesson, a lifeguard may check in to ensure it aligns with our facility policies,” a spokesperson from the district said in a statement.
In Surrey, Burnaby and North Vancouver, parents are free to teach their children during public swim times.
“The city welcomes parents and guardians to teach their children or support their swim practice during any public swim hours,” a spokesperson from the City of Surrey said. “Swimming success for children and youth is enhanced by regular visits to the pool and by support from a parent or guardian.”
In North Vancouver, “parents or guardians are welcome to review and practice safe swimming skills with their own children during public swim sessions as long as they are not impeding access to any area of the pool or disrupting other pool users,” a district spokesperson said.
It’s a similar story for families in Burnaby. “As long as parents are paying admission, following pool rules and not monopolizing pool space, there are no issues with parents teaching their kids how to swim,” a city spokesperson said.
In Richmond, the main concern around parents teaching their children to swim at public pools is safety.
“Parents or guardians can certainly teach their own children or family member to swim in a public pool, but we strongly encourage people to consider using a qualified instructor. Swimming is an important safety skill and one we highly recommend for everyone, regardless of age, to learn,” a city spokesperson said.
Confusion over Vancouver’s swim-teaching rules comes as families struggle to get their kids into public lessons. The city’s subsidized swim programs, although more affordable than private lessons, are often oversubscribed, with spots filling up quickly.
“Overall, demand remains high across the city,” the park board said Wednesday. “We are actively working as part of our facility renewal planning to increase our capacity and ability to meet this growing demand,” the board said.
https://vancouversun.com/news/vancouver-parents-blocked-teaching-kids-swim-public-pools
cowardly pos gives finger anonymously thru internet
we both know in real life you would never dare to give the finger to anyone
lest they kick your faggot ass up one side of the street and down the other
>I didn't used to hate Jews.
>But they are making moar and moar difficult to not hate them.
and moar and moar people are arriving at the same conclusion
>Only a shills mind would go there.
what OTHER reference you gonna draw from marvin the martian?
methinks thou dost protest too much…. SHILL
>Oh look, the Federal Reserve lives under the executive branch, which means that it reports to the President (Article 2, Section 1).
then WTAF is the delay?
fire powell
nationalize the fed
wipe out the debt to "the jew"
start fresh
Make A Dollar Great Again
>fuckin moron
hmmm….
i just checked
my dick is NOT in your ass ATM
so, WRONG AGAIN, moran
>Self Notables are never Notable'ed
most important thing you will learn today
never say never
>what a queer thing to say
>fuckin homo
pretty sure the one taking it up the ass is the homo, homo
you're the one who suggest i was fucking you, moran