Aquatics

Swim Participants Should Expect the Following

1. All Lane Swim and Aquafit time slots are set for 60-minute and 45-minute blocks respectively. The Therapy Pool use is only available at the SARC and is set for 60-minute blocks.

2. The SARC Therapy Pool can now be booked as a separate pool service. For those who only wish to use the SARC Therapy Pool, they can reserve and pay for the spot as a separate pool space. There are a total of 4 spots per time block and SARC Therapy Pool participants cannot use the Lane Swim pool.

3. The SARC Lane Swim participants may only use the SARC Therapy Pool as an added feature so as long as there is remaining space available and is not utilized. If the SARC Therapy Pool is full with participants who booked in advance, then the Lane Swim participants will not be able to use the SARC Therapy Pool.

4. All Lane Swim, Therapy Pool and Aquafit participants will reserve a spot through the Town’s program registration. Visit our eplay page to register online.

• Participants are required to set-up a Family Account in advance, and will be required to reserve and pay for the spot online.
• Participants are asked to go into e-PLAY and search “Pool – Lane Swim”, “Pool – SARC Therapy Pool Use” or “Pool – Aquafit”. All aquatic programs require pre-booking at this time. There will be no drop-in option.
• Participants are allowed to cancel their reserved spot, and request a refund until one hour before the program. No refunds will be provided for late requests or “No Shows”. Please submit all refund requests via email to our recreation department
• Note: There may be consequences for swim participants who continuously reserve swimming spots and do not attend their reservation spots without cancelling in advance, regardless of payment received.

5. Pool capacities have been reduced to allow the participants to safely maintain physical distancing of 2 metres.

6. Upon registration, swim participants will be asked to complete a COVID-19 self-assessment screening. Upon arrival at the facility, a designated Facility Greeter will check-in participants and confirm the COVID-19 self-assessment screening has not changed since registration. If a participant answered "yes" to one of the COVID-19 screening questions, then they will not be permitted to enter into the facility and participate in the program.

7. Participants are asked to arrive no more than 15 minutes prior to the start of the program to check-in. Participants are asked to abide by the following directional flow:

• AFLC Pool users: Enter through the main entrance, exit through the back entrance (north doors).
• SARC Pool users: Enter through the main entrance, exit through the pool change room hallway doors (south doors). 

8. Participants will need to abide by the Town’s directional flow in the pool change rooms in an effort to promote physical distancing of 2 metres.

• Pool users can enter only through the Men’s and Women’s pool change room and cannot travel in opposing directions.
• The Family change room is available for entry and use where required, however remains the exit for all pool users.
• Pool users are required to abide by the rules within the Family change room (i.e. no nudity in open spaces, must change within the changing stalls).

9. Participants are asked to bring their personal belongings with them onto the pool deck and place them in a designated area. Note: The Town is not responsible for any lost or stolen items.

10. At this time, spectators are strongly discouraged in Community Centres in an effort to protect the community from further interaction with others in a multi-use facility, however swim participants 10 years of age and under are allowed to have no more than 1 spectator per participant at a given time. Spectators will be required to follow the Town’s COVID-19 self-assessment screening.

11. Locker rental memberships, Pool memberships, and Aquafit memberships will not be reinstated at this time.

• There is no locker use at this time.

12. Only essential pool equipment will be made available to participants.

• Participants will not be allowed to access pool equipment on their own in an effort to reduce the risk of contamination.

• Town staff will assist with providing essential pool equipment to participants.

• Once the program ends, participants are required to put used pool equipment into a bin for cleaning purposes.

13. The Town will be cleaning and disinfecting the change rooms, showers and washrooms more frequently as per Regional Health requirements.

14. For swim lessons, Aquatic Instructors will do their best to maintain physical distancing through:

• i. Teaching from the pool deck while swimmers are in the water;
  ii. Providing in-water demonstrations while swimmers are on deck.

• Not using physical manipulation to teach swim skills.

• As per the Instructions from the Regional Medical Health Officer, Aquatic Instructors are considered “active” when teaching swimming lessons, and are permitted to remove their Face Masks on deck. Aquatic Instructors will not be wearing Face Masks while participating in the water as it is a safety concern.

Here's What You Can Do to Help

1. Participants are required to adhere to all Town policies and procedures as it relates to COVID-19.

• Remember the rules in place to promote safe programs to all participants.

2. As per recommendations from York Region, participants are required to wear masks or face coverings inside enclosed public spaces, which includes Community Centres.

• Participants are asked to remove their masks or face coverings only when they are ready to enter the pool, and to put it back on once they get out of the water.
• The following are exempted from wearing masks or face coverings:
  • People who cannot wear a mask for medical reasons.
  • Children under the age of five.
  • Those who require accommodation in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code.

3. Participants are encouraged to change into their bathing attire at home prior to arriving into the facility.

4. Participants are encouraged to wear goggles while swimming.

5. Participants are encouraged to bring their own equipment where possible. Any shared pool equipment from the Town will be cleaned and disinfected between uses.

Learn to Swim - Private Swim Lessons

Age: 3+ years

Location: AFLC Pool

One swimmer with one instructor focusing on any specific skill you would like us to work on with the participant.

Learn to Swim - Private Swim Lessons

Age: 3+ years

Location: SARC Pool

One swimmer with one instructor focusing on any specific skill you would like us to work on with the participant.

Adapted Privates

Age: 3+ years

Location: AFLC Pool

One swimmer with one instructor focusing on any specific skill you would like us to work on with the participant.

Aurora Lifesaving Club

Age: see below

Location: SARC Pool

Lifesaving sport is an emerging aquatic sport that focuses on developing swimming skills through lifesaving activities. Participants will not only learn how to swim with lifesaving equipment, throw coiled ropes and swim under obstacles, but have an opportunity to attend regional competitions. The perfect youth training program for future lifeguards.

Age: Junior - 7 to 11 years

Age: Youth - 12 to 15 years

Fall Swim Schedule - Lane Swim, SARC Therapy Pool and Aquafit

Please see swim schedule for dates and times. Pre-registration is required. Swim schedule is subject to change.

How to Register:

• Go to aurora.ca/eplay and click on Register Online.
• Type Lane Swim, Therapy Pool or Aquafit into the Search field.
• Register for date/time of your choosing.

Note:

• When registering on e-PLAY, please ensure you look at all the pages for availability.

Aquatic Schedule - Fall 2020 - September 14 to December 18

STAT Holiday – Thanksgiving Day: Monday, October 12

• AFLC Pool - Closed

• SARC Pool - Limited swim times from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (see schedule)

• Participants complete a COVID-19 screening during online registration.
• When a participant arrives at the facility, a Facility Greeter will take attendance for contact tracing purposes, and will confirm with them on every visit whether their conditions changed since registration.
• If a participant is feeling unwell, then they are asked to not attend the Leadership course and notify the Instructor or Town staff.
• If a participant is exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, then they will be asked to leave the building and get tested for COVID-19, and cannot return back into the Leadership course until they have confirmed a negative COVID-19 test result from the testing centre, or have completed a 14-day quarantine due to COVID-19.
  • If they do not have means of transportation, then they will be placed in an isolation area within the building, until they can be picked up.
• Participants who miss classes due to COVID-19 are asked to contact the Aquatic Coordinator to determine next steps.

The Town is following the Region’s direction and guidelines on safe practices, which include:

• Maintain physical distancing of 2 metres.
• Promote washing hands frequently before entering the pool and after leaving the pool.
• Promote traffic flow by designated facility entries and exits.
• Limit participant capacity in Leadership courses to allow for physical distancing.
• Clean high touch surfaces frequently as per Public Health recommendations.
• Communicate COVID-19 expectation through facility signage in prominent areas throughout the building, and information on the Town’s webpage.
• Encourage participants to practice good hygiene (for example: cough in elbow).
• Ensure hand sanitizers are available throughout the facility.

Promote the wearing of Face Masks and/or Face coverings in indoor enclosed areas as per the Region’s Medical Health Officer’s instructions:

• Instructors will make every reasonable best efforts to wear Face Masks on the pool deck; however the Instructors are considered “active” when teaching Leadership courses in the pool area, and are permitted to remove their Face Masks on the pool deck.
• Participants and Instructors will not be wearing Face Masks while participating in the water as it is a safety concern.
• For in-water rescues, participants are encouraged to avoid face-to-face proximity during rescue activities.

• Where possible, Instructors will minimize the interaction between participants in the course by organizing participants into fixed training groups throughout the course.
• If there are low participant numbers in the course, the Instructor may adopt the Lifesaving Society’s position of using a household member or social circle.
• The Town recognizes that due to the nature of Aquatic Leadership courses, there are certain evaluation items where maintaining physical distancing and the fixed training group model is not feasible.

Bronze Medallion & Emergency First Aid

Age: 13+ years

Location: SARC (In-person) & Virtual

Fee: $225.50/6

This course works to embody the 4 components of water rescue: judgment, fitness, knowledge and skill. Candidates will be prepared for risky and challenging rescues, while focusing on fitness and endurance as well. 

Note: The exam takes place on the last day of class.

Prerequisite: 13 years or Bronze Star

Bronze Cross

Age: 13+ years

Location: SARC (In-person) & Virtual

Fee: $165.00/4

This course continues the training learned in Bronze Medallion. It emphasizes the ability to work as a team in aquatic emergencies, while also developing an understanding of the

difference between lifesaving and lifeguarding.

Note: The exam takes place on the last day of class. This course does not include Standard First Aid/CPR C.

Prerequisite: Bronze Medallion & Emergency First Aid 

Standard First Aid with CPR-C Recertification

Age: 13+ years

Location: SARC (In-person)

Fee: $95.00/1

Holders of Standard First Aid certificates from other agencies may not recertify their certificate on a Lifesaving Society recertification course. Standard First Aid award holders may recertify their SFA once. For subsequent renewal the full SFA course must be repeated.

National Lifeguard: Pool

Age: 15+ years (New!)

Location: SARC (In-person) & Virtual

Fee: $350.00/10

This certification is designed to develop a candidate’s judgment, knowledge, skills and fitness which is required to be a lifeguard. These principles will be applied to assist in the decision process and assist in learning effective safety supervision. 

Prerequisite: 15 years, Bronze Cross, and Standard First Aid 100% attendance required.

National Lifeguard: Pool Recertification

Age: 16+ years

Location: SARC (In-person) & Virtual

Fee: $95.00/1

Certification is current for two years.

Prerequisite: National Lifeguard: Pool (does not have to be current).

Swim, Lifesaving & Emergency First Aid Instructors

Age: 15+ years (New!)

Location: SARC (In-person) & Virtual

Fee: $350.00/9

This course encompasses 3 instructor certification within the Lifesaving Society. The Swim Instructor course prepares the instructor to teach and evaluate basic swim strokes and related skills, while the Lifesaving and Emergency first Aid Instructor courses prepare them to organize, plan, teach and evaluate the lifesaving and first aid skills and resuscitation techniques in the Society’s lifesaving and first aid awards. 

Prerequisite: 15 years, Bronze Cross. 100% attendance required. 

Note: This certification allows you to work with the Town of Aurora as an Aquatic Instructor.

Lifesaving Sport is an emerging aquatic sport that focuses on developing swimming skills through lifesaving activities. Participants will not only learn how to swim with lifesaving equipment, throw coiled ropes and swim under obstacles; but they will also have an opportunity to attend regional competitions. The perfect youth training program for future lifeguards.

Lifesaving Sport - More Information

Contact
Shelley Makepeace
Deck Supervisor
Email Shelley Makepeace 

Earn high school credits with YRDSB’s Aquatic Leadership Program and the Town of Aurora.

The two-part program is conducted in a blended learning format, which includes pool instruction, in-class instruction and online learning. Upon completion, successful students may earn certifications to be used to work as a lifeguard or a swim instructor.

1. Get the training and experience needed to become a certified lifeguard or swim instructor in Ontario at significantly reduced costs.

2. This course counts as a credit towards graduating high school. Learn real-life skills while advancing towards graduation.

3. Build your leadership skills and become job ready with in-demand lifeguard certifications.