Lifeguards aplenty in St. Anthony, N.L. despite nationwide shortage

The Town of St. Anthony is swimming against the tide.

Communities across the country have faced a shortage of lifeguards since before the COVID-19 pandemic began, but the St. Anthony Olympia Pool has a surplus, with more being added all the time. The small town of 2,200 residents has seven certified lifeguards and two who can assist, as they have their Bronze Cross.

“We’re very proud to have a ready supply of lifeguards,” said Michelle Tucker, a town councillor in St. Anthony and chair of the town’s recreation committee.

“It means that we’re able to offer safe, good pool services to our community members.”

However, Tucker said the town didn’t always have so many so lifeguards. 

“There was a time when there was only one certified lifeguard in the area and due to family things he couldn’t work and they had to shut down because they had no one to cover for him,” Tucker said. 

She credits the town’s recreation director Scott Coish with innovating a recruitment plan for lifeguards. The plan turned out to be fairly simple: recruiting potential lifeguards from the young people on the town’s swim team. 

“The majority of our lifeguards that we have now have been on the swim team since as long as they could join it,” Tucker said. 

The other major factor was improving access to training. 

“Years ago, people who were interested in lifeguarding had to go away for training,” Tucker said.

“It wasn’t as accessible to our swimmers who were interested due to the cost of travel and accommodations.”

Tucker said the town partnered with a community recreation committee and brought trainees to St. Anthony. 

“We’ve had the guards trained in our own area, so that alleviates the cost for our swimmers,” she said.

Tucker said the abundance of lifeguards means a lot of positive developments for the pool. Longer hours, more swimming lessons, the ability to accommodate summer camps and a safer facility.

“Having so many people that are willing to work shows a lot about our community,” said lifeguard and pool supervisor Will Gibbons.

“Our lifeguards are accessible, they’re always ready to work and they want to help. It means a lot to the community because people have a safe spot to swim. We have lifeguards there all the time. It’s never a dangerous spot to go, which I think is phenomenal.”

Eve Penny is another one of the town’s young lifeguards. She said being a lifeguard runs in her family.

“My mom was a lifeguard when she was younger, and so was my brother before he went off to college,” she said.

“I’ve been swimming since pretty much the day I was born.”

Penny said she learned a lot during the training program. 

“It’s a lot of getting used to how quickly you have to respond,” Penny said.

“You think you have time, but then you realize this has to be done really quickly.”

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