Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim will bring a motion to city council Wednesday, proposing to make the first three levels of swimming lessons free for kids aged three to 12.
In the motion, Sim says drowning remains a leading cause of preventable death among children and youth, and basic swimming ability is a foundational life skill essential to survival, safety, and confidence in aquatic environments.
“First of all, it’s a great sport to participate in, but also it’s a public safety issue,” Sim told 1130 NewsRadio.
“And the more people who know how to swim at a younger age can enjoy the sport, but also be safe around the water — and we’re a coastal city.”
Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation Chair Tom Digby says he likes the idea, but says Sim hasn’t given any indication on how the program would be funded.
“We have not had a great relationship with the mayor over three and a half years,” said Digby.
“He’s trying to abolish the elected Park Board. But we are always willing to take his calls and hear what good suggestions he might have.”
Digby says he’s disappointed that Sim is bringing a motion to council instead of picking up the phone and calling the Park Board.
“Two weeks ago, the mayor was not willing to support funding for the lifeguards,” he said.
“So the Park Board had to cut other programs in order to fund lifeguards on our beaches for this summer. And now the mayor is coming up with an idea for a new free program.”
Digby says the board already has budget shortfalls and major work is needed on both Kitsilano and Kerrisdale pools.
“We’re still looking for $40 million to redo the Kitsilano pool to keep that going for 15 more years,” he said.
“The mayor has not yet made a commitment on a 50-metre pool in Vancouver. A lot of people would like to see a 50-metre pool in Vancouver.”
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On an annual basis, the Park Board says it delivers a total of 1,133 swimming lessons at the first three levels for a total of 6,498 participants.
The revenue from fees, it says, totals approximately $500,000.
The Board says in 2024, the waitlist for lessons across the system totalled more than 8,000 individuals.
—With files from Raynaldo Suarez