Vancouver city council unanimously backed a proposal to make the first three levels of swimming lessons free for residents.<\/p>\n
Mayor Ken Sim’s motion directs city staff to work with the Vancouver Park Board to develop the program, which would prioritize access for kids between the ages of three and 12.<\/p>\n
“On a personal note, my own parents couldn’t afford to send me to swimming lessons when I was a kid, so I didn’t learn how to properly swim until I was an adult,” Sim said.<\/p>\n
Sim invoked historic Vancouver lifeguard Joe Fortes<\/a> in introducing the proposal, which he said would help as many people enjoy the city’s beaches and pools as possible while reducing the risk of drowning.<\/p>\n A majority of speakers at Wednesday’s meeting backed the concept of expanding access to lessons and aquatic facilities in general.<\/p>\n Several parents described how hard it was to find lessons in the city, with one telling councillors she’d had to enrol her kids in Burnaby.<\/p>\n The plan also earned the backing of the Lifesaving Society B.C. and Yukon.<\/p>\n “Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death of children under the age of five in Canada,” society executive director Lenea Grace told council.<\/p>\n “There is no better way to prevent [drowning] than to intervene early with lessons.”<\/p>\n Council heard that swimming lessons generate about $420,000 in annual revenue for the city, prompting COPE Coun. Sean Orr to press Sim on how the city would pay for the plan.<\/p>\n “That’s a big chunk of money,” Orr said.<\/p>\n