The City of Sarnia is saving about $100,000 on lifeguard costs in a new pilot partnership with the YMCA for Tecumseh Pool, city staff say.
The City of Sarnia is saving about $100,000 on lifeguard costs in a new pilot partnership with the YMCA for Tecumseh Pool, city staff say.
The agreement recently approved by council will see YMCA of Southwestern Ontario provide swimming lessons, open swims and potentially water aerobics classes in July and August at the Cox Youth Center facility, community services co-ordinator Krissy Glavin said.
The savings include not having to hire lifeguard staff, Glavin said, after the Canadian Red Cross announced earlier this year it was no longer offering aquatics programming and lifeguard training.
“We always hired … summer students, as in the lifeguards, to deliver that Red Cross programming,” she said.
In a typical year, that would cost $135,000, she said.
The YMCA partnership is expected to cost $38,000, and there’s another $3,000 expected in delivery fees and supply savings, Glavin said in a report.
The partnership builds on an agreement with the YMCA the city made in 2021, and renewed earlier this year, to use city park facilities for kids’ camps.
Of the nearly 1,100 YMCA campers in 2021, about 450 made use of city spaces like Camp Saredaca, Glavin reported in February.
“It was a very good fit in the sense they were still able to deliver camp programming that we, as a municipality on our own, hadn’t delivered in a couple of years” because of pandemic restrictions, Glavin said.
Historically, the city has offered camps at Camp Saredaca, Newton and Wildwood parks, she said.
About $325,000 in splash-pad improvements that include eliminating fencing, making it open and free to use, are expected to wrap up in June, she said.
It’s one part of about $2.3 million in park work that also includes a new $245,000 playground, expected to open either this week or next, she said.
Design work is underway for a new $600,000 skate park, for which construction is expected to start in the fall.
There’s also $400,000 in pool and ball diamond fencing planned, and another $710,000 in pathways, drainage system and concrete replacement around the pool, city officials said.
About three-fifths is covered via provincial and federal government grant money, city officials have said.
“It’s an exciting time for that park space – there’s lots going on,” Glavin said.
“We’re excited for summertime and to return to some great recreation activities in that park space.”