Royal Life Saving Society Canada

The Royal Life Saving Society Canada, commonly known as the Lifesaving Society or LSS, is a Canadian registered charity that works to prevent water-related injuries through various programs across Canada.[2] The Lifesaving Society is an independent organization that is composed of ten provincial/territorial branches, tens of thousands of individual members, and over 4,000 affiliated swimming pools, waterfronts, schools and clubs. The Society helps prevent drowning and aquatic injury through its training programs, public education, drowning-prevention research, safety management and overseeing the sport of lifesaving.[2] They are one of five recognized first aid training organizations in Canada, alongside the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Red Cross, St. John Ambulance, and the Canadian Ski Patrol.

Lifesaving Society
The Royal Life Saving Society Canada[1]
Established1908
TypeNonprofit
Legal statusRegistered charity
Region served
Canada
Official language
English, French
Websitewww.lifesaving.ca

History

The Royal Life Saving Society arrived in Canada in 1894 with its Honorary Representative, Arthur Lewis Cochrane, who joined the faculty of Upper Canada College in Toronto as a "Drill Instructor". The Society became formalized with the establishment in 1908 of the Ontario Branch as the first Canadian branch of the Royal Life Saving Society UK.[3]

The Ontario branch of the RLSS was founded on December 10, 1908, with J. Howard Crocker as a charter member.[4][5] Crocker introuced RLSS to the YMCA curriculum, and served as president of the Ontario branch of the RLSS from 1934 to 1937.[5]

Programs and certifications

Annually, over one million Canadians take part in the Society's swimming, lifesaving, lifeguard and leadership training programs.[2] The Lifesaving Society is incorporated in Canada under the name "The Royal Life Saving Society Canada/La Société Royale de Sauvetage Canada",[1] and it has branches for every province and territory. The Lifesaving Society represents Canada in the International Life Saving Federation and the Royal Life Saving Society Commonwealth.

The Society sets the standards for aquatic safety in Canada and certifies Canada's National Lifeguards. The Society is the Canadian governing body for the sport of lifesaving, which is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the Commonwealth Games Federation.

Lifesaving Society certifications include:

  • Canadian Lifesaving Program
    • Canadian Swim Patrol Program: Pre-Bronze Awards
      1. Rookie Patrol
      2. Ranger Patrol
      3. Star Patrol
    • Bronze Medal Awards
      1. Bronze Star
      2. Bronze Medallion
      3. Bronze Cross
    • National Lifeguard in four options: Pool, Waterpark, Waterfront, and Surf
    • Other Awards
      • Lifesaving Fitness
      • Boat Rescue
      • Distinction
  • Leadership Training Program
    • Instructor Training
      1. Swim Instructor
      2. Lifesaving Instructor
      3. Advanced Instructor
      4. National Lifeguard Instructor
      5. First Aid Instructor
    • Examiner Training: Examination Standards Clinic
  • Other Programs
    • Boat Operator Accredited Training (BOAT)
    • BOAT Instructor

The Lifesaving Society also trains coaches and officials for lifesaving sport.

In 2012, the Lifesaving Society joined forces with the Canadian Red Cross and the Public Health Agency of Canada to launch the Open Water Wisdom initiative, which is a community water activity safety program dedicated to bringing awareness to recreational water safety issues nationally and in hundreds of remote communities across Canada.[6][7][8]

See also

References
  1. "Legal Information". Lifesaving Society. Retrieved 2021-07-04.
  2. "About Us". Lifesaving Society. Retrieved 2021-07-04.
  3. "Lifesaving Society". www.lifesaving.ca. Archived from the original on 2005-04-05.
  4. University of Western Ontario (1960). "J. Howard Crocker fonds". Archeion. Archives Association of Ontario. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  5. Keyes, Mary Eleanor (October 1964). John Howard Crocker LL. D., 1870–1959 (Thesis). London, Ontario: University of Western Ontario. pp. 75–79. OCLC 61578234.
  6. "THE LIFESAVING SOCIETY AND CANADIAN RED CROSS CALL FOR COMMUNITIES TO JOIN OPEN WATER WISDOM CAMPAIGN," as published in a press release by Open Water Wisdom, May 2012
  7. "Open Water Wisdom," written by Barb Kusyanto, Chief Administrative Officer, Lifesaving Society Alberta & Northwest Territories, July 2012
  8. "Keeping Communities Safe," Archived 2012-08-19 at the Wayback Machine as published in a press release by The Canadian Red Cross, July 2012
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