CollingwoodToday welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected]. Please include your daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication). The following letter is in response to an article about the lifeguard shortage in Collingwood, published May 10.
What a shame that the Town of Collingwood won’t recognize the cost of training, hundreds of hours of commitment and responsibility that we place on lifeguards/instructors.
Lifeguards need first aid, CPR, Bronze Medallion, Bronze Cross, national and instructor certifications.
After all this we get the comment that dish washing pays better with less responsibility, or, “We are very competitive with all of our neighbouring municipalities.”
Fifteen years ago in Hamilton my niece was paid more than $20 per hour to lifeguard. Another younger niece was paid $26 per hour less than five years ago.
You will only get seasonal student lifeguards if all you pay is $18. They deserve more. If you were to pay $25 per hour you would most likely get stay-at-home parents who want to work part-time year round to supplement household incomes. They would be a lot more dependable than lowering the age requirements to 15 years as the province suggests.
Town bureaucrats should get their priorities straight. We pay a road worker with a shovel and rake much more than we pay those who look after the safety of our kids/citizens at multimillion-dollar recreational facilities.
Bob Rawson
Collingwood
