Quebec campgrounds, hotels struggle to find lifeguards

Many operators of campgrounds, public pools and hotels across the province are finding themselves forced to cut pool hours short — all because there are not enough lifeguards.

"It's been very difficult, to say the least. We've been posting job ads since the beginning of the season and, unfortunately, we haven't had any applications so far," said Raphael Gonzalez, manager of the Parkbridge campground at La Conception Park in the Laurentians.

Gonzalez said he posted the positions on job boards, government websites, social media and at lifeguard training schools.

"As the years go on, it's becoming harder and harder to find lifeguards."

Why? Gonzalez thinks there are two main reasons: Baywatch and cellphones.

He told CBC Montreal's Daybreak that today's lifeguards weren't even born when the hit TV show Baywatch was popular.

"Some speculate that the job has lost the appeal, that it went south since Baywatch in 2001 went off the air — around the same time any potential lifeguards were born."

Gonzalez also thinks teenagers' love of always being connected online makes the job of lifeguarding less attractive.

The lifeguard shortage has meant shorter pool hours at the Parkbridge campground and longer hours for the lifeguards who do work there.

"It does have a major toll on us as a company to find a solution, as … the security of our clients is number one. We're just very aware of what's going on, and we're trying to find other means."

The Lifesaving Society says it's harder to attract seasonal workers, especially during periods when the economy is doing well.

"Usually, this is a summer job," said Raynald Hawkins, executive director of the Quebec division of the Lifesaving Society.

CEGEP students in Quebec are off for the summer as of May, and the term ends for university students  in April — but pools don't usually open before June.

Hawkins said that prompts students ask, "'Am I ready to lose some salary?"

"Our students, it doesn't matter if they have their National Lifeguard Award in their wallet, they will choose another summer job, a lot of times with better salary conditions, a better quality of life because they will work often Monday to Friday and not evenings and weekends."

Hawkins said the Lifesaving Society is planning to offer lifeguard training in campground regions earlier in the season, to avoid a shortage next summer.