The Royal Life Saving Society Canada, commonly known as the Lifesaving Society or LSS, is a Canadian registered charity that works to prevent water-related injuries through various programs across Canada. The Lifesaving Society is an independent organization that is composed of ten provincial/territorial branches, tens of thousands of individual members, and over 4,000 affiliated swimming pools, waterfronts, schools and clubs. The Society helps prevent drowning and aquatic injury through its training programs, public education, drowning-prevention research, safety management and overseeing the sport of lifesaving.

History

The Royal Life Saving Society arrived in Canada in 1894 with its Honorary Representative, Arthur Lewis Cochrane, who joined the faculty of

Upper Canada College Upper Canada College (UCC) is an elite, all-boys, private school in Toronto, Ontario, operating under the International Baccalaureate program. The college is widely described as the country's most prestigious preparatory school, and has produce ...

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

as a "Drill Instructor". The Society became formalized with the establishment in 1908 of the Ontario Branch as the first Canadian branch of the Royal Life Saving Society UK.

Programs and certifications

Annually, over one million Canadians take part in the Society's swimming, lifesaving, lifeguard and leadership training programs. The Lifesaving Society is incorporated in Canada under the name "The Royal Life Saving Society Canada/La Société Royale de Sauvetage Canada", and it has branches for every province and territory. The Lifesaving Society represents Canada in the

International Life Saving Federation The International Life Saving Federation (ILS) is an organisation for drowning prevention, water safety, lifesaving and lifesaving sports. Definition The International Life Saving Federation (ILS) comprises over 130 national life saving org ...

and the

Royal Life Saving Society Commonwealth The Royal Life Saving Society - Commonwealth is the umbrella organisation that links together lifesaving societies in the Commonwealth of Nations. The RLSS-Commonwealth organises the Commonwealth Lifesaving Championships. The Society hosts the Qui ...

. The Society sets the standards for aquatic safety in Canada and certifies Canada's

National Lifeguard National Lifeguard, commonly known as an NL or NLS, is a lifeguarding certification program in Canada, offered by the Lifesaving Society The Royal Life Saving Society Canada, commonly known as the Lifesaving Society or LSS, is a Canadian regist ...

s. The Society is the Canadian governing body for the sport of lifesaving, which is recognized by the

International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...

and the

Commonwealth Games Federation The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), currently known as Commonwealth Sport, is the international organisation responsible for the direction and control of the Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Youth Games, and is governing body of the ...

. Lifesaving Society certifications include: *Canadian Lifesaving Program ** Canadian Swim Patrol Program: Pre-Bronze Awards **# Rookie Patrol **# Ranger Patrol **# Star Patrol ** Bronze Medal Awards **# Bronze Star **# Bronze Medallion **# Bronze Cross **

in four options: Pool, Waterpark, Waterfront, and Surf ** Other Awards *** Lifesaving Fitness *** Boat Rescue *** Distinction * Leadership Training Program ** Instructor Training **# Swim Instructor **# Lifesaving Instructor **# Advanced Instructor **# National Lifeguard Instructor **# First Aid Instructor ** Examiner Training: Examination Standards Clinic * Other Programs ** Boat Operator Accredited Training (BOAT) ** BOAT Instructor The Lifesaving Society also trains coaches and officials for lifesaving sport. In 2012, the Lifesaving Society joined forces with the

Canadian Red Cross The Canadian Red Cross Society ()Public Health Agency of Canada The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC; french: Agence de la santé publique du Canada, ASPC) is an agency of the Government of Canada that is responsible for public health, emergency preparedness and response, and infectious and chronic dis ...

to launch the

Open Water Wisdom Open Water Wisdom is a community water activity safety program that was spearheaded by The Royal Life Saving Society of Canada and The Canadian Red Cross. It is dedicated to bringing awareness to recreational water safety issues nationally and in hu ...

initiative, which is a community water activity safety program dedicated to bringing awareness to recreational water safety issues nationally and in hundreds of remote communities across Canada."Keeping Communities Safe,"
as published in a press release by The Canadian Red Cross, July 2012

References

External links

Lifesaving SocietyLifesaving Society OntarioInternational Life Saving FederationOpen Water Wisdom
{{DEFAULTSORT:Royal Life Saving Society Of Canada Charities based in Canada Surf lifesaving Lifesaving organizations

History

Programs and certifications

See also

References

External links