Burnaby plans to move up revamp of swimming registration system

Burnaby is hiring a new manager of aquatics, ahead of a revamp of the city’s registration system that’s meant to make it easier (and quicker) to enroll yourself and your kids in programs like swimming and arts classes.

Earlier this month, we reported that many Burnaby residents waited hours—with varying levels of success—to get their children signed up for swimming lessons in the city.

Coun. Daniel Tetrault acknowledged at the time that Burnaby’s current online registration system is outdated (Burnaby has used the same system since the 90s) and hasn’t kept up with growing demand.

On Monday night, city council approved a budget of $144,628 for salary and benefits for the new hire, who will be expected to move up the timeline for getting the new registration system up and running.

The new Parks, Recreation and Culture Management Replacement System (PRISM) Project was set to be operational by November 2023, but the city is hoping that the new aquatics manager will in part help to push that date up to July—in time for fall registrations.

“This is long overdue, and we have had an issue with signing people up for aquatics for a long time. And I know this is related to our overall IT systems but it’s time to get on with this work and ensure our residents are serviced in the best possible ways,” Mayor Mike Hurley said.

The new manager will also work on decreasing long waitlists for swimming lessons in Burnaby.

Burnaby’s parks and recreation general manager. Mary Morrison-Clark. told councillors that the pandemic created a huge gap in training lifeguards and instructors. That in turn meant that the number of swimming lesson spaces available in the city decreased and hasn’t yet caught back up to pre-pandemic levels.

In late February, Tetrault brought forward a motion asking staff to develop a plan to reduce those waitlists, along with exploring a partnership with the Burnaby School District for a swimming program for elementary students to be introduced in the 2023-24 school year.

Morrison-Clark said that pre-COVID, the city offered 11,800 spots for pre-school swim lessons. At the moment, that number has dropped to 6,380.

“That is a significant decline in available spots that are attributed to our lack of staff,” she said.

The department is currently hiring for about 44 positions in aquatics, and nearly 300 across parks and recreation.

Meanwhile, the city has plans to double the aquatic infrastructure across Burnaby by 2026.

That includes the Burnaby Lake Aquatic and Arena Facility, meant to replace the old C G Brown Memorial Pool which closed last October after 60 years.

“The city is also investing significant capital in aquatic facilities which will double the numbers of lifeguards needed by 2026, growing from the current 375 to over 750 staff,” the report reads.