The Lifesaving Society Canada is a national, charitable, not-for-profit, volunteer-based organisation dedicated to saving lives through drowning prevention. Since 1896, the Society taught millions of Canadians to save lives in aquatic environments. The Society serves all Canadians by providing information and skills that promote safety in, on and around water. The Society is THE Canadian authority in aquatic life saving education and lifeguarding. The Society is a leader and partner in the delivery of water safety education in Canada.

Mission

To prevent drownings and water-related incidents for all Canadians by providing :

• Lifesaving, lifeguarding and leadership education.
• Public education.

The humanitarian principles are the basis of the organisation. People are the most important resource. The Society is dynamic and action oriented and is based on mutual respect, trust and integrity.

Goals

• Increasing awareness of the responsibility that individuals assume for themselves and others when working, playing or boating in, on or near water.
• Providing education in response to current needs in water rescue, resuscitation, lifeguarding and aquatic risk management.
• Providing leadership training and development for lifesaving and lifeguarding programs and activities.

Annually the Society trains over 190,000 Canadians in lifesaving, lifeguarding, first aid and leadership programmes. Through the Society’s 14 lifesaving programmes, Canadians develop personal swimming and survival skills together with water rescue and resuscitation knowledge. The Society has provincial/territorial Branch offices throughout Canada. The Society pursues areas of research that enhance and support the development and excellence of programme education and public education initiatives. Since 1988, the Society has made drowning research its number one priority. Since 1992, the Society annually researches and reports on drowning and water-related accidental deaths nationally, using this information to analyse the problem in detail and to understand who needs to do what differently in order to reduce the number of drownings in Canada. Many national organisations, agencies and institutions support the Society goals.