Vancouver’s beaches may be quiet now, but with the arrival of warmer weather, locals will once again be drawn to the water.
However, due to budgetary constraints, five city beaches — Spanish Banks East, Spanish Banks West, Third Beach, Sunset Beach, and Trout Lake — could soon no longer have lifeguards, the City of Vancouver says.
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The move would save around $600,000, it says.
Analise Hofmann, who has been a lifeguard at Spanish Banks West since she was a teenager, says she was stunned when she heard the Vancouver Park Board was planning on removing lifeguards from the beaches.
“We are preventative. We can rescue people in the water,” said Analise Hofmann, a lifeguard at Spanish Banks. “We’re there quickly enough. If we aren’t here, those incidents can very much turn into recovery efforts.”
“We know these areas like the back of our hand, and it doesn’t take many of us to keep these areas safe. So really it’s…the most cost-effective way to keep the public safe and happy at the beach and having a good environment.”
This is not the first time Vancouver lifeguards have fought to keep their posts. In 2012, these same beaches were set to lose their lifeguards until the community spoke up.
Craig Amundson has been patrolling Vancouver’s beaches for over 30 years. He says lifeguards have extensive knowledge of the dangers near the water’s edge.
He fears this loss of know-how could impact the thousands of tourists who will descend on Vancouver in two months for the FIFA World Cup.
“People who’ve come to this area without that level of training or understanding…very quickly, a beautiful day can turn into a tragedy,” Amundson said.
“That’s what we’re here to stop.”
There are ongoing efforts to avoid these concerns altogether. On April 22, Vancouver Coun. Pete Fry will table an urgent motion directing City Hall to allocate the $600,000 in funding needed to keep lifeguards at all Vancouver beaches throughout the summer.
“We want to have appropriate supports for folks to enjoy the water, enjoy the beach, enjoy our city, especially if they are visiting for the World Cup,” Fry said.
“Obviously, any accident… the $600,000 would be trivial in the context of someone’s life.”
Amundson remains hopeful that council will be swayed, as in his view, the potential savings do not outweigh the inherent risks.
“In 2021, there were some times where lifeguards were pulled from beaches, and accidents and tragedies did result,” he said.
“That will happen again.”
