Hit the beach! National lifeguard championships taking place in N.B.

Parlee Beach in Pointe-du-Chêne, N.B., was the safest place to go for a swim on Friday.

More than 100 lifeguards are showcasing their skills this weekend at the Canadian Surf Lifesaving Championships hosted by Lifesaving Society New Brunswick.

Ten teams in total from British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia are competing.

It’s a chance for young athletes to practice lifesaving skills at a time when lifeguards are in demand.

Lifesaving Society New Brunswick CEO Sarah Hebb said a lot of jobs were lost during the pandemic when most pools weren’t allowed to open and people couldn’t take courses.

“They weren’t able to operate, they weren’t able to teach people how to swim and they weren’t able to teach people the lifeguarding courses,” said Hebb. “Folks have come back since COVID to do so. With others, it was out of sight, out of mind, and they haven’t come back. So we need folks to come back to our local pools, back to our local waterfronts learning how to swim and learning how to keep other people safe in and around the water.”

Lifesaving Society New Brunswick program manager Gregoire Cormier said some pools in the province were able to stay open during the pandemic, unlike other more populated parts of the country.

“I can’t say that we’re completely out of the woods. Aquatic facilities are still slowly ramping up, especially the leadership, which is the ones that are teaching the next generation of lifeguards. That level took a harder hit,” said Gergoire.

The Canadian Surf Lifesaving Championships hosted by Lifesaving Society New Brunswick at Parlee Beach in August 2024. (Source: Derek Haggett/CTV News Atlantic)

Gregoire said many facilities in the province are now running full schedules as they were before the pandemic and some are even working on brand new programs.

Jacques Levesque, the coach of the Parlee Beach Life Saving Club and a former competitor, said many lifeguard jobs are lost when students finish post-secondary educations and move on with their careers.

“Right now there’s a need on the beaches through the province, but also in the pools everywhere in the province,” said Levesque. “Here in Moncton, we’re offering a lot of courses.”

Some of the junior competitors at the three-day event were as young as 14.

Anderson Haugh, 15, and Ethan Hodgson, 14, came from Saugeen Shores, Ont., to compete.

They know becoming a lifeguard takes a lot of dedication.

“There’s a lot of training involved. There’s a lot of courses. You need to be responsible and have strength and resiliency and you need to be mentally prepared for anything that can happen in the pool or the water,” said Haugh. “I think this is a great job to get into. It teaches a lot of great lessons.”

A lifeguard board is pictured. (Source: Derek Haggett/CTV News Atlantic)

Hodgson is still in training to become a full-time lifeguard.

“It’s fun to work as a lifeguard. You get lots of time at the pool, lots of time at the beach. I’ve always loved being around the water,” said Hodgson. “It’s a pretty big commitment. Sometimes you work long hours, but it always ends up being worthwhile.”

A fun event for the Ontario kids, but is it stressful for the coaches?

Levesque doesn’t think so.

“No, I love it, actually. I miss that. I used to compete in the 80s and the 90s and it’s taken me back to that time,” said Levesque. “That’s why I’m running the club right now, to give back to the sport.” 

For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.