The Manluk Centre: Wetaskiwin Regional Aquatics and Fitness recently launched its new facilities and program schedule, which shifted to an activities-based program schedule in order to maximize capacity within the facility due to a lifeguard staffing shortage.
The new schedule reduces the Manluk Centre’s overall hours of operation, allowing for more lifeguards to be scheduled within those hours. This increases the number of people who can use the facility at one time, as the Alberta Public Pool Safety Standards state that one lifeguard can only supervise up to 40 swimmers at a time.
“Our hope is that our new schedule will allow us to better serve the community while also keeping everyone safe while we navigate this staffing shortage,” said Natasha Grant, Manager of Recreation with the City of Wetaskiwin.
Aquatic facilities will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, while opening at 6 a.m. and closing at 7:30 p.m. on weekdays. The Flaman Fitness Centre (located within the Manluk Centre) will also be adhering to these hours of operation. More information about the Manluk Centre’s programming can be found at manlukcentre.ca.
These changes will be in place until the lifeguard vacancies are filled. Individuals interested in applying for these positions can check out the Lifeguard postings at wetaskiwin.ca/jobs.