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Lifesaving Society Swim for Life Program
Starting in the Fall of 2022 the City of Belleville - Recreation, Culture & Community Services will be transitioning to the Lifesaving Society Swim for Life Program levels for swimming. For additional questions about the transition and what level your child will now be in please review the information below or contact our Customer Service Desk at 613-966-4632.
Transition to the Lifesaving Society Swim for Life® Program
Early in 2022, the Canadian Red Cross announced the end of their Water Safety programs in order to better support other areas of their community support efforts. The City of Belleville - Recreation, Culture & Community Services thanks them for many years of successful partnership and is excited to begin an expanded relationship with the Lifesaving Society to offer the Swim for Life® program starting in Fall 2022!
Please take a few minutes to read through the common questions and answers regarding the program switch.
| Why did the Red Cross end their swimming program? |
| The Red Cross ended their water safety programs to redirect resources to other community support and emergency response programs. The Red Cross will continue to offer First Aid instructional programs. |
| Will my child be learning less? |
| No! This program is a different program from the Red Cross program and is difficult to compare directly for that reason. Your children will still learn all the necessary strokes and water safety skills to be safe in and around water by the end of the program. |
| What about badges? |
| Like the Red Cross program, the Swim for Life® program does offer recognition items that your swimmer can proudly display to show their achievements in their swimming lessons! |
| What does the program look like? |
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Like the Red Cross program, there are Parent & Tot swimming lessons, Preschool lessons, and Children’s lessons. The Swim for Life® program also includes Fitness and Adult programs too to ensure that everyone is able to learn how to swim and be safe around water. #NeverTooYoungToLearn #NeverTooOldToStart You can read more about the program on the Lifesaving Society's website. |
| Why is some of the content different from strokes? |
| The Swim for Life® program aligns its stroke standards with the internationally recognized FINA stroke standards for freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke. Sidestroke and elementary backstroke are not included in the program but can be taught in private lessons if your swimmer is interested in them. |
| What about midterms and report cards? |
| We will provide progress reports verbally at the halfway point of lessons, and a written report on the last day of lessons. |
| Are Private and Semi-Private lessons still available? |
| Yes! Scroll further on the page to learn more about these options. |
| What level should I register my child in? |
| Great question! We've provided some answers to this below on this page. |
Swim program conversion chart - from Red Cross to Lifesaving Society
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Preschool aged classes
If your child is 4 months to 5 years, this is the program for you. Typically parented classes are based on age and un-parented classes, beginning at age three, are based on skills completed.
Parent & Tot 1 (previously Starfish) |
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Designed for the 4 to 12 month-old to learn to enjoy the water with the parent. |
Parent & Tot 2 (previously Duck) |
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Designed for the 12 to 24 month-old to learn to enjoy the water with the parent. |
Parent & Tot 3 (previously Sea Turtle) |
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Designed for the 2 to 3 year-old to learn to enjoy the water with the parent. |
Preschool 1 (previously Sea Otter) |
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We encourage the parent to participate until their child lets them know they can do it themselves (thank you very much). These preschoolers will have fun learning to get in and out of the water. We’ll help them jump into chest deep water. They’ll float and glide on their front and back and learn to get their faces wet and blow bubbles underwater. |
Preschool 2 (previously Salamander) |
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These preschoolers learn to jump into chest-deep water by themselves, and get in and get out wearing a lifejacket. They’ll submerge and exhale underwater. Wearing a lifejacket they’ll glide on their front and back. |
Preschool 3 (previously Sunfish) |
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These youngsters will try both jumping and a sideways entry into deep water while wearing a lifejacket. They’ll recover objects from the bottom in waist-deep water. They’ll work on kicking and gliding through the water on their front and back. |
Preschool 4 (previously Crocodile) |
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Advanced preschoolers will learn to do solo jumps into deeper water and get out by themselves. They’ll do sideways entries and open their eyes underwater. They’ll master a short swim on their front wearing a lifejacket and gliding and kicking on their side. |
Preschool 5 (previously Whale) |
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These youngsters get more adventuresome with a forward roll entry wearing a lifejacket and treading water for 10 seconds .They’ll work on front and back crawl swims for 5 meters, interval training and get a giggle out of whip kick. |
School aged children's swimming lessons
If your child is 5 years and up, this is the program for them.
Swimmer 1 (previously Swim Kids 1) |
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These beginners will become comfortable jumping into water with and without a lifejacket. They’ll learn to open their eyes, exhale and hold their breath underwater. They’ll work on floats, glides and kicking through the water on their front and back. |
Swimmer 2 (previously Swim Kids 2) |
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These advanced beginners will jump into deeper water, and learn to be comfortable falling sideways into the water wearing a lifejacket. They’ll be able to support themselves at the surface without an aid, learn whip kick, swim 10 meters on their front and back, and be introduced to flutter kick interval training (4 x 5 meters). |
Swimmer 3 (previously Swim Kids 3) |
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These junior swimmers will dive and do in-waterfront somersaults and handstands. They’ll work on 15 meters of front crawl, back crawl and 10 meters of whip kick. Flutter kick interval training increases to 4 x 15 meters. |
Swimmer 4 (previously Swim Kids 4 or 5) |
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These intermediate swimmers will swim 5 meters underwater and lengths of front, back crawl, whip kick, and breaststroke arms with breathing. Their new bag of tricks includes the completion of the Canadian Swim to Survive®Standard. They’ll cap it all off with front crawl sprints over 25 meters and 4x25 meters front or back crawl interval training. |
Swimmer 5 (previously Swim Kids 6) |
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These swimmers will master shallow dives, cannonball entries, eggbeater kicks, and in-water backward somersaults. They’ll refine their front and back crawl over 50 meters swims of each, and breaststroke over 25 meters. Then they’ll pick up the pace in 25 meters sprints and two interval training bouts: 4x50 meters front or back crawl; and 4 x 15 meters breaststroke. |
Swimmer 6 (previously Swim Kids 7) |
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These advanced swimmers will rise to the challenge of sophisticated aquatic skills including stride entries, compact jumps and lifesaving kicks like eggbeater and scissor kick. They’ll develop strength and power in head-up breast stroke sprints over 25 meters. They’ll easily swim lengths of front crawl, back crawl, and breaststroke, and they’ll complain about the 300 meters workout. |
Swimmer 7: Rookie Patrol (previously Swim Kids 8) |
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Swimmers continue stroke development with 50 meter swims of front crawl, back crawl and breaststroke. Lifesaving sport skills include a 25 meter obstacle swim and 15 meter object carry. First aid focuses on assessment of conscious victims, contacting EMS, and treatment for bleeding. Fitness improves in 350 meter workouts and 100 meter timed swims. |
Swimmer 8: Ranger Patrol (previously Swim Kids 9) |
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Swimmers develop better strokes over 75 meters swims of each stroke. They tackle lifesaving sport skills in a lifesaving medley, timed object support and rescue with a buoyant aid. First aid focuses on assessment of unconscious victims, treatment of victims in shock and obstructed airway procedures. Skill drills develop a strong lifesaving foundation. |
Swimmer 9: Star Patrol (previously Swim Kids 10) |
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Swimmers are challenged with 600 meters workouts, 300 meters timed swims and a 25 meters object carry. Strokes are refined over 100 meters swims. First aid focuses on treatment of bone or joint injuries and respiratory emergencies including asthma and allergic reactions. Lifesaving skills include defence methods, victim removals and rolling over and supporting a victim face up in shallow water. |
Private and Semi-private Lessons
Private and semi-private lessons are for anyone 3yrs and older. For semi-private lessons both swimmers must register at the same time.
Shallow water private and semi-private lessons |
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Shallow water private and semi-private swimming lessons are for any swimming level and any age including adults. The lesson will take part in the therapy pool. The main pool pool is not available for these lessons. |
Main pool private and semi-private lessons |
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Private and semi-private swimming lessons are available to levels. Only the deep water main pool is available at this time. |
Teen and adult aged swimming lessons
You can register online for swimming lessons for ages 14+.
Teen & Adult 1 (previously Teens & Adults) |
| You’ll work towards a 10–15 meters swim on your front and back. You’ll do jump entries from the side and recover an object from the bottom in chest-deep water. Improve your fitness and your flutter kick with 4 x 9–12m interval training. |
Teen & Adult 2 (previously Teens & Adults) |
| Kick it up a notch working on two interval training workouts of 4x25 meters kicking and front or back crawl. You’ll be able to perform dive entries and demonstrate breast stroke arms and breathing over 10–15 meters. You’ll be supporting yourself at the surface for 1–2 minutes, and showing off your handstands in shallow water. |
Teen & Adult 3 (previously Teens & Adults) |
| No sweat (or at least none anyone can see). You’ll learn eggbeater, stride entries and compact jumps. You’ll be doing a 300 meters workout and sprinting 25–50 meters. You’ll master your front crawl, back crawl and breast stroke. Whew! |
Advanced Aquatic Leadership Courses
These programs are for more advanced swimmers who wish to become a lifeguard, swimming instructor, or more. Visit our Advanced Aquatic Leadership page on our website to learn more about these programs.