For many parents, swimming registration has become the most stressful day of the year. 

And that’s not just true for New Westminster. Accessing lessons has become a competitive sport of its own across the region, from Coquitlam to Vancouver. As a parent of two, Councillor Tasha Henderson knows the struggle first hand. It’s why she’s been working on creative solutions to this issue ever since she was first elected in 2022. 

One idea was to offer swim lessons as part of the school curriculum at a reduced cost. This spring Henderson and School Board Trustee Cheryl Sluis collaborated on a pilot project with Lord Kelvin Elementary School. Over three sessions, 80 Grade 3 and 4 students learned introductory-level swim safety skills. The City subsidized these sessions so that each student only paid a nominal fee to participate. 

“The students really enjoyed the lessons and the staff did an awesome job making the learning fun,” said SluisThe test project got such great feedback from teachers and parents that City and School District staff are working on plans to bring this program to more New West schools starting January 2027.

“Every single community struggles with swim lesson capacity,” said Henderson. “The Community First team is looking at creative ways of ensuring more kids get basic swimming skills across the city while we work on the longer-term plans of increasing staffing and amenity capacity.”

Meanwhile, parents will already have noticed some of those creative ideas in action. For example, Henderson brought forward the motion to open registration for other recreation programs and camps on a different day than swimming. This limits pressure on the registration portal and on parents who need multiple types of lessons. 

Jumping into a pool or lake is one of summer’s greatest pleasures. We want every kid – and grown up kid – to enjoy water play safely. Finding creative ways to manage registration and bring lessons into the school day is giving more kids a chance to learn these essential basics.