So why the reason for these changes?
By now, most people have heard that there has been a
shortage of lifeguards at the Centre. Between sickness and resignations, it has
been difficult to have the proper compliment of staff required at all times under
the previous model.
This model of "spontaneous use" meant that most
areas of the Centre were open and available for public use on a drop in basis
for most of the day. This created quite a bit of flexibility for users. However, this model can be challenging for
staffing requirements, particularly when there is a staffing shortage.
Pools have strict requirements for the number of lifeguards
required to be on duty based on type of amenities, pool depth, sightlines,
number of users in pool, etc. With a spontaneous use policy that has all the
aquatics areas open, a minimum number of lifeguards is required, no matter the
number of users in the facility. As more users enter the pool, more lifeguards
are needed.
This creates a challenge when you are in a position of having
limited staff. Areas have to be shut down to reflect available staffing levels.
This was really frustrating for people accessing the pool, because you would
show up and some areas would be open, some wouldn't. Sometimes you would be
turned away because the pool was at capacity based on the number of lifeguards
available.
The uncertainty this caused was a huge headache for users.
This uncertainty was somewhat mitigated with the incessant stream of updates on
social media. However, I think this frustrated users even more.
So why the change?
To address this uncertainty, it was decided to move away
from a spontaneous use policy to more of a programmed schedule like the Leisure
Centre used to have. This would allow Eastlink Centre staff to direct the
limited staff resources more efficiently. This would also give users more
certainty that when you show up for public swim, you won't be turned away.
As more lifeguards are trained and hired and staffing levels
normalize, this policy change will be reviewed. This is a temporary change to
address an unfortunate situation.
But how did we get in this position in the first place?
Eastlink Centre in crisis again. Seen that headline a few
times in the last few years.
I don't want to play the blame game about how and why we
found ourselves in this situation. As a City Councillor, it is one of my
responsibilities to hold our City Administration (through our City Manager) to
account for how they respond to a crisis and to evaluate their response from a community
perspective.
Our new City Manager and Senior Administration have made
righting the Eastlink Centre ship a top priority and have directed much time
and resources into creating this temporary fix.
More importantly, they are working on addressing the longer term
structural issues that have given rise to a number of issues at Eastlink
Centre.
To that end, there are significant steps being made in the
training and recruitment of lifeguards. There is also going to be a larger role
for shallow water attendants who can patrol certain areas of the facility. Going
forward, a nation-wide search for a top calibre General Manager has commenced.
The Eastlink Centre is one of the premier attractions and rec facilities in Northwestern
Alberta. I often hear from out-of-towners how lucky we are to have such an
incredible facility. This is why it has been a Council priority to make sure this
multi-million dollar investment is delivering the service residents and user
groups expect.
I greatly appreciate all the feedback I've gotten from
residents on this topic and I encourage you to keep Council and Eastlink Centre
staff informed on what your expectations of the facility are.
