The Municipality of Port Hope offers swimming lessons through the Lifesaving Society - Swim for Life. Our swimming lessons are for ages 4 months and up. All swimming lessons run at the Jack Burger Sports Complex.
Fall Registration Details
Fall Aquatics: Registration opens August 28, 2023 at 7:00 a.m.
Fall Fitness and Programs: Registration opens August 29, 2023 at 8:00 a.m.
Learn more about session dates, how to register and more on our registration page.
Fall Swimming Lesson Information:
The Fall session runs from September 11 to November 19, 2023.Parent & Tot and Preschool.
Ages 4 months to 5 years old. All infants and toddlers must wear swim diapers if they are not potty-trained. These lessons run for 30 minute lessons.Descriptions and Lesson Times:
| Parent & Tot - 1 & 2 (Parented) |
| Spend quality time with your child while you both have fun, learn and socialize. Through structured in-water interaction between parent and child, we stress the importance of play in developing water positive attitudes and will learn skills like buoyancy, movement, front and back positions, and shallow water entries and exits. Ages 4 to 23 months. One caregiver must take part in the water. Times: |
| Parent & Tot 3 (Parented) |
| Through structured in-water interaction between parent and child, you will have fun learning to get in and out of the water. They will learn to jump into chest deep water, get their face wet and blow bubbles underwater. They will also practice doing floats and glides on their front and back. Ages 24 to 36 months. One caregiver must take part in the water. Times: Monday: 9:30 a.m., 5:35 p.m. |
| Preschool A |
| These preschoolers will have fun learning to get in and out of the water. We’ll help them jump into chest deep water. They’ll learn to get their face wet and blow bubbles underwater, and how to do floats and glides on their front and back. Ages 3 to 5 years old. Times: Monday: 9:30 a.m., 5:00 p.m., 6:10 p.m. |
| Preschool B |
| These preschoolers learn to jump into chest deep water by themselves, and get in and get out wearing a lifejacket. They’ll submerge and exhale underwater. While wearing a lifejacket they’ll glide on their front and back. Ages 3 to 5 years old. Times: Monday: 9:30 a.m., 5:35 p.m. |
| Preschool C |
| These youngsters will try both jumping and a sideways entry into deep water while wearing a lifejacket. They’ll recover objects from the bottom in waist-deep water. They’ll work on kicking and gliding through the water on their front and back up to 3 meters. Ages 3 to 5 years old. Times: Monday: 6:45 p.m. |
| Preschool D |
| Advanced preschoolers will learn to do solo jumps into deeper water and get out by themselves. They’ll do sideways entries and open their eyes underwater. They’ll master a 5 meter swim on their front wearing a lifejacket and gliding and kicking on their side. Ages 3 to 5 years old. Times: Monday: 6:10 p.m. |
Swimmer 1 to Swimmer 9.
For ages 5 to 13. Swim lessons range from 30 minutes to 45 minutes long.
Descriptions and Lesson Times:
| Swimmer 1 |
| These beginners will become comfortable jumping into water with and without a lifejacket. They’ll learn to open their eyes, exhale and hold their breath underwater. They’ll work on floats, glides and kicking through the water on their front and back. Ages 5 to 13 years old. This lesson is 30 minutes long. Times: |
| Swimmer 2 |
| These advanced beginners will jump into deeper water, and learn to be comfortable falling sideways into the water wearing a lifejacket. They’ll be able to support themselves at the surface without an aid, learn whip kick, swim 10 meters on their front and back, and be introduced to flutter kick interval training. Ages 5 to 13 years old. This lesson is 30 minutes long. Monday: 4:30 p.m., 5:00 p.m., 6:45 p.m. |
| Swimmer 3 |
| These junior swimmers will dive, do in-water front somersaults, and handstands. They’ll work on 15 meters of front crawl, back crawl and 10 meters of whip kick. Flutter kick interval training increases distance. Ages 5 to 13 years old. This lesson is 30 minutes long. Times: Monday: 5:35 p.m. |
| Swimmer 4 |
| These intermediate swimmers will swim 5 meters underwater and lengths of front, back crawl, whip kick, and breaststroke arms with breathing. Their new bag of tricks includes the completion of the Canadian Swim to Survive® Standard. They’ll cap it all off with front crawl sprints, and front or back crawl interval training. Ages 5 to 13 years old. This lesson is 45 minutes long. Times: |
| Swimmer 5 |
| These swimmers will master shallow dives, cannonball entries, eggbeater kicks, and in-water backward somersaults. They’ll refine their front and back crawl over 50 meter swims of each, and breaststroke over 25 meters. Then they’ll pick up the pace in 25 meter sprints and two interval training bouts: 4 x 50 meters of front or back crawl; and 4 x 15 meters of breaststroke. Ages 5 to 13 years old. This lesson is 45 minutes long. Times: |
| Swimmer 6 |
| These advanced swimmers will rise to the challenge of sophisticated aquatic skills including stride entries, compact jumps and lifesaving kicks like eggbeater and scissor kick. They’ll develop strength and power in head-up breaststroke sprints over 25 meters. They’ll easily swim lengths of front crawl, back crawl, and breaststroke. Ages 5 to 13 years old. This lesson is 45 minutes long. Times: |
| Swimmer 7 - Rookie Patrol |
| Rookie Patrol features development of front crawl, back crawl, and breaststroke over 50 meters each, timed 100 meter swims and 350 meter workouts. A work hard/play hard approach develops swimming strengths and efficiency with emphasis on personal responsibility for water smart behaviour. Ages 5 to 13. This lesson is 45 minutes long. Times: |
| Swimmer 8 - Ranger Patrol |
| Swimmers develop better strokes over 75 meter swims of each stroke. They tackle lifesaving sport skills in a lifesaving medley, timed object support and rescue with a buoyant aid. First aid focuses on assessment of unconscious victims, treatment of victims in shock and obstructed airway procedures. Skill drills develop a strong lifesaving foundation. Ages 5 to 13. This lesson is 45 minutes long. Times: |
| Swimmer 9 - Star Patrol |
| Star Patrol demands good physical conditioning and lifesaving judgement. Participants develop lifesaving and first aid skills further refined front crawl, back crawl, and breaststroke over 100 meters each, complete 600 meter workouts and 300 meter timed swims. This course is divided into three categories
Ages 5 to 13. This lesson is 45 minutes long. Times: |
If you are unsure of which level to register in, please contact the Aquatics Coordinator for a swim assessment.
Private and semi-private lessons.
Private and semi-private lessons are available on a first-come, first-served basis. All private and semi-private lessons are 30 minutes long.
| Private Lessons |
| Private lessons are 1-on-1 lessons with an instructor. Instructor requests are not guaranteed. Private lessons are for ages 3 years and up. Times: Monday: 4:00 p.m. 4:30 p.m., 5:00 p.m., 6:10 p.m., 6:45 p.m. |
| Semi-Private Lessons |
| Semi-Private are 2-on-1 lessons with an instructor. Instructor requests are not guaranteed. Semi-private lessons are for ages 3 years and up. For semi-private lessons, you must supply your own partner. Partner requirements:
Semi-private lessons can register one child online to reserve your spot and then phone the Jack Burger Sports Complex to register the second child. Additional fees apply. |
Adult and Teen lessons
Adult and Teen lessons are available for anyone ages 13 and up. All lessons are 30 minutes long. Come to the first class with your goals.
| Strokes and Fitness |
| Strokes and Fitness is for all swimmers with basic skills. Bring your goals to your first class. Triathletes welcome. Prerequisite: Previous swimming abilities, and can comfortably swim over 5 meters. Wednesday: 8:30 p.m. |
| Basics Skills |
| Basics Skills are lessons designed for adults who have little to no previous swimming experience, and who do not feel comfortable swimming over 5 meters. Monday: 8:30 p.m. |
| Private Lessons |
| Private lessons are available for teens, adults, and seniors. Please Contact the Aquatics Coordinator for more availability. |
HIGH FIVE®
HIGH FIVE® is Canada's quality standard for children's programs and is an innovative approach to help us enhance program quality and provide positive experiences for children. HIGH FIVE® supports us with Training and Development, Program Assessments, Policies and Procedures and Awareness. HIGH FIVE® is a standard committed to assisting children along the path of healthy child development by:
- Ensuring that program practitioners develop a high level of knowledge and expertise in child development;
- Helping parents to make informed choices and;
- Providing practitioners with the tools for enhancing and maintaining a high level of program quality.
The Municipality of Port Hope is proud to be an Accredited HIGH FIVE® organization, maintaining the highest standard in Canada
Youth Friendly Community
The Youth Friendly Communities recognition award is a program of Play Works, an Ontario partnership for youth. The program outlines criteria for communities to support engaged youth and highlights the investments the community makes to youth play. Promising practices for youth engagement are highlighted and celebrated. The award recognition is a community collaboration and involves youth to complete the submission. The Municipality has been recognized as a Platinum Youth Friendly Community since 2008.
Age-Friendly Community
An age-friendly community (AFC) is a community where policies, services and physical spaces are designed to enable people of all ages to live in secure and accessible physical and social environments. AFCs contribute to good health and allow people to participate fully in society throughout their lifetime. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Age-Friendly Cities project developed eight domains of AFCs. These domains outline the physical and social aspects of communities that contribute to independent and active aging.
The Municipality of Port Hope is recognized as an Age-Friendly Community through the World Health Organization, and was Awarded the Ontario Age-Friendly Recognition Award in 2018 through the Ministry of Seniors Affairs