Swimming Lessons

Spend quality time with your child while you both have fun and learn and socialize in this Lifesaving Society Swim for Life Program. 

Through structured in-water interaction between parent and child, we stress the importance of play in developing water-positive attitudes and skills. We provide Lifesaving Society Water Smart® tips on keeping your child safe in any aquatic setting. Certified instructors provide guidance and answers to your questions.

Because activities and progressions are based on child development, please register in the level appropriate for your child’s age: 4 - 12 months, 12 - 24 months or 2 - 3 years. 

Parent and Tot 1

Duration: 30 minutes

Age: 4- 12 months with parent

Designed for the 4 to 12-month-old to learn to enjoy the water with the parent. They will have the opportunity to experience buoyancy and movement through repetitive songs, activities and play in the water

Parent and Tot 2

Duration: 30 minutes

Ages: 12 - 24 months with parent

Designed for the 12 to 24-month-old to learn to enjoy the water with the parent. The participant and their parent/caregiver will have the opportunity to practice getting their face wet, parent-assisted skills such as front and back floats, movement in the water, and shallow water entries and exits through repetitive songs, activities and play in the water.

Parent and Tot 3

Duration: 30 minutes

Age: 2 - 3 years with parent

Designed for the 2 to 3-year-old to learn to enjoy the water with the parent. Toddlers and their parent/caregiver will have the opportunity to work on parent-assisted skills such as submersion, front and back floats, glides and kicks, jumping into the water through repetitive songs, activities and play in the water.

Give your child a head start on learning to swim with this Lifesaving Society Swim for Life Program.

Do you have a child that is ready to go in the water without you, that is not yet old enough for the preschool levels?

In our basic aquatic progressions, we work to ensure 2 - 3-year-olds become comfortable in the water and have fun acquiring and developing a foundation of water skills. We incorporate Lifesaving Society Water Smart® education in all Preschool levels.

Tot 1

Duration: 30 minutes

Age: 2 - 3 years with parent

In this transitional class we encourage the parent to participate until their child lets them know they can do it themselves (generally between lesson 3 and 5). Preschoolers will have fun learning to get in and out of the water. We’ll help them jump into chest deep water. They’ll float and glide on their front and back and learn to get their faces wet and blow bubbles underwater. 

Tot 2

Duration: 30 minutes

Age: 2 - 3 years and completed Tot 1

These preschoolers will learn to jump into chest-deep water by themselves, and get in and get out wearing a lifejacket. They’ll submerge and exhale underwater. Wearing a lifejacket they’ll glide on their front and back.

Give your child a head start on learning to swim. This Lifesaving Society Preschool Program develops an appreciation and healthy respect for the water before these kids get in too deep.

In our basic aquatic progressions we work to ensure 3 to 5-year old's become comfortable in the water and have fun acquiring and developing a foundation of water skills. We incorporate Lifesaving Society Water Smart® education in all Preschool levels.

Preschool 1

Duration: 30 minutes

Age: 3 - 5 years with parent

In this transitional class we encourage the parent to participate until their child lets them know they can do it themselves (generally between lesson 3 and 5). 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 float and glide on their front and back and learn to get their faces wet and blow bubbles underwater. 

Preschool 2

Duration: 30 minutes

Age: 3 - 5 years and completed Preschool 1 or Tot 1.

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. Wearing a lifejacket, they’ll glide on their front and back. 

Preschool 3

Duration: 30 minutes

Age: 3 - 5 years and completed Preschool 2 or Tot 2

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. 

Preschool 4

Duration: 30 minutes

Age: 3 - 5 years and completed Preschool 3

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 short swim on their front wearing a lifejacket and gliding and kicking on their side

Preschool 5

Duration: 30 minutes

Age: 3 - 5 years and completed Preschool 4

These youngsters get more adventurous with a forward roll entry wearing a lifejacket and treading water for 10 sec. They’ll work on front and back crawl swims for 5 m, interval training and get a giggle out of whip kick.

Note: Participants must be 5 years of age or the completion of Preschool levels to move into the Swim for Life program. To move up in levels the swimmer must successfully complete the requirements of the previous level.

Swimmer 1

Duration: 30 minutes

Age: 5 years and/or completion of Preschool Levels 1 to 4

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. 

Swimmer 2

Duration: 30 minutes

Prerequisites: Completion of Swimmer 1 or Preschool 5

These advanced beginners will jump into deeper water with assistance. They’ll be able to support themselves at the surface without an aid 10 seconds, kick 7 m on their front and back, and side. Swim front and back crawl 5m. They will be introduced to flutter kick interval training (2 x 5 m).

Swimmer 3

Duration: 45 minutes

Prerequisites: Completion of 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 m on their front and back, and be introduced to flutter kick interval training (4 x 5 m). 

Swimmer 4

Duration: 45 minutes

Prerequisites: Completion of Swimmer 3

These junior swimmers will do in-water front somersaults and handstands. They’ll work on 13 m of front crawl, back crawl and 5 m of whip kick. Flutter kick interval training increases to 2 x 15 m. 

Swimmer 5

Duration: 45 minutes

Prerequisites: Completion of Swimmer 4

These junior swimmers will dive and do in-water front somersaults and handstands. They’ll work on 15 m of front crawl, back crawl and 10 m of whip kick. Flutter kick interval training increases to 4 x 15 m. 

Swimmer 6

Duration: 45 minutes

Prerequisites: Completion of Swimmer 5

These intermediate swimmers will swim 5 m 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 over 25 m and 4 x 25 m front or back crawl interval training. 

Swimmer 7

Duration: 45 minutes

Prerequisites: Completion of Swimmer 6

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 m swims of each, and breaststroke over 25 m. Then they’ll pick up the pace in 25 m sprints and two interval training bouts: 4 x 50 m front or back crawl; and 4 x 15 m breaststroke.

Swimmer 8

Duration: 45 minutes

Prerequisites: Completion of Swimmer 7

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 m. They’ll easily swim lengths of front crawl, back crawl, and breaststroke, and they’ll complain about the 300m workout.

Rookie Patrol

Duration: 1 hour

Prerequisites: Completion of Swimmer 8

Swimmers continue stroke development with 50 m swims of front crawl, back crawl and breaststroke. Lifesaving sport skills include a 25 m obstacle swim and 15 m object carry. First aid focuses on assessment of conscious victims, contacting EMS, and treatment for bleeding. Fitness improves in 350 m workouts and 100 m timed swims.

Ranger Patrol

Duration: 1 hour

Prerequisites: Completion of Rookie Patrol

Swimmers develop better strokes over 75m 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. 

Star Patrol

Duration: 1 hour

Prerequisites: Completion of Ranger Patrol

Swimmers are challenged with 600 m workouts, 300m timed swims and a 25 m object carry. Strokes are refined over 100m swims. First aid focuses on treatment of bone or joint injuries and respiratory emergencies including asthma and allergic reactions. Lifesaving skills include defense methods, victim removals and rolling over and supporting a victim face up in shallow water.

• These ½ hour classes are ideal for those swimmers 3  - 13 yrs who are unable to participate in the formal swimming lessons.
• Group placement varies depending on the levels of participants and instructor availability
• Registration begins 15 minutes prior to lesson time, and payment of $8.96 is to be made at the Customer Service Desk. Arrive early as space is limited for each class time.
• Lessons are final sale and booked times cannot be moved to another date

The Wilmot Aquatic Centre has officially switched to an online report card module called SwimGen for Learn to Swim Lessons.

Accessing Online Report Cards

Step 1

Get your Customer ID number ready. 

Every participant that has registered in swimming lessons has their own, unique Customer ID number associated with their name. Customer ID numbers do not change, and will remain the same for every session on an ongoing basis. Customer ID numbers are needed to access report cards through SwimGen. 

• If you're joining swimming lessons for the first time, please check your email for a Customer ID that was sent at the beginning of the session.

• If you have participated in lessons before, you would have already received your Customer ID email. You will not receive a new one, as Customer ID numbers stay the same for each session.

• Emails are sent to the head of household and include the Customer ID numbers for each registered swimmer in your family. 

Can’t find it your Customer ID Number?

• Please do not set up multiple RecWeb accounts for the same participant if you lose their Customer ID. 
• Please check your junk or spam folder. If you're still unable to locate the email, contact us at recreation@wilmot.ca or call 519-634-9225 for assistance.

Save your Customer ID numbers in a safe place, you will need them again if you plan to register for future swimming lesson sessions. 

Step 2

Next, head to the SwimGen portal and input your provided ID number in the Customer ID box. 

Step 3

This will bring you to a page with the child’s name and level. Click the level highlighted in blue to review their report card. 

We understand that some parents may wish to have a hardcopy of report cards for sentimental reasons.

At this time, participants in Parent and Tot classes will continue to receive a tangible copy of their certificate of completion.

All other program levels will be receiving their certificate of completion/report cards online, through SwimGen. 

An additional 25% will be charged to the total registration fee for participants who reside outside Wilmot Township. Participants who do not live in the Township but pay taxes to Wilmot Township should bring in their tax form when they register to avoid paying this additional fee.

We will not refuse admission to swimming lessons due to lack of funds. Please complete our online Financial Assistance Application for details. All applications are confidential and must be submitted 2 weeks prior to the start date of the course.

Requests for refunds will be issued up to the third lesson. A 20% administrative fee (to a maximum of $42) and the amount will be prorated based on the number of lessons that have passed in the session, not the number of lessons attended. 

If the customer decides to leave the financial credit on their account, the 20% administrative fee will be waived. Unused credits will expire after 3 years.

Class transfers must occur before the start of the third class and will be based on space availability. After the third class, transfers will only be allowed at the Aquatic Supervisor's discretion.

From time to time it may be necessary to cancel a course. Usually this results from:

• Insufficient registration to run the program
• The Wilmot Recreation Complex being closed and an alternative location not being available 
• The instructor has a conflict with a specific date and a replacement instructor cannot be found
• There is a scheduling conflict for reoccurring annual special events in specific rooms
• We are experiencing severe weather conditions which has resulted in road closures and the ability of the instructor or the majority of participants to travel to the Wilmot Recreation Complex.

At the time of registration, you will be notified of the date of any known cancellations, facility closures or instructor/ scheduling conflicts. In the event of road closures or emergency facility closure, participants will be contacted as soon as possible.

If a program is cancelled due to insufficient registration, staff members will attempt to reach persons registered in cancelled programs by phone. Participants will be given the option to move to another time, put a credit on their account or a refund.

If you not sure if a course is running, please contact us.

Students must attend only the class in which they are formally registered. We regret we cannot accommodate requests for makeup classes at other times.

Staff are not allowed to accept personal belongings for safekeeping. All patrons are warned that valuables and belongings should not be left unattended. Take precautions by using the lockers, leaving the items at home or take the items to the deck and leave within your view. The Township of Wilmot is not responsible for lost or stolen items. 

Pool fouls can cause the pool to be closed for several hours. Help us keep our pool germ free by:

• Staying home when you have diarrhea or if you feel unwell. This is very important for children in diapers.
• Washing your body thoroughly with soap and water before entering or re-entering the pool.
• Washing your hands with soap and water after using the washroom or changing diapers.
• Not spitting in the pool and avoiding getting pool water in your mouth.
• Eating after swimming or at least one hour before swimming.
• Taking children to the bathroom before entering the pool and frequently during your pool visit
• Putting children who are not toilet-trained in swim diapers; regular diapers are not permitted. Swim diapers can be purchased at the front desk.