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Swimming Program

A kid diving into the lake

Summer Swimming Lessons

The Township of Muskoka Lakes offers swimming lessons during July and August at Jaspen Park in Bala and at Baycliffe Park in Milford Bay.

Lessons follow the curriculum of the Life Saving Society Swim for Life program. All swim participants (exclusive of the Parent and Tot Lessons) must be a minimum of three years of age, toilet trained and not in diapers at the commencement of the swim program.

Registration

2025 registration now open!

Swimming Sessions

  • Session A: July 2nd to July 11th

  • Session B: July 14th – 24th

  • Session C: July 28th – August 8th (no lessons running on the 4th)

  • Session D: August 11th – 21st

  • PM lessons Tuesdays and Thursdays July 8th – August 21st
  • 9 day sessions
  • Course schedule is tentative dependent on enrollment. Hours may vary within a half hour span.
  • No lessons on the civic holiday

Program Details and Prices

Preschool

All swim participants (exclusive of the Parent and Tot Lessons) must be a minimum of three years of age, toilet trained and not in diapers at the commencement of the swim program.

Parent and Tot 1, 2, 3 (with caregiver)

Parent & Tot 1: Designed for the 4 to 12-month-old to learn to enjoy the water with the parent.
Parent & Tot 2: Designed for the 12 to 24-month-old to learn to enjoy the water with the parent.
Parent & Tot 3: Designed for the 2 to 3-year-old to learn to enjoy the water with the parent.

Prerequisite: None

Price: $60

Bala:

N/A

Milford Bay:

Parent & Tot 1: 10:00 am - 10:30 am

Parent & Tot 2: 10:30 am - 11:00 am 

Parent & Tot 3: 11:00 am - 11:30 am

Bala:

Parent & Tot 1: 10:15 am - 10:45 am

Parent & Tot 2: 11:00 am - 11:30 am

Parent & Tot 3: 11:30 am - 12:00 pm

Milford Bay:

N/A

Bala:

Parent & Tot 1 and 2: 3:00 pm - 3:30 pm

Parent & Tot 3: 2:30 pm - 3:00 pm

Milford Bay:

Parent & Tot 1 and 2: 11:00 am - 11:30 am

Parent & Tot 3: 11:30 am - 12:00 pm

Bala:

Parent & Tot 1 and 2: 10:00 am - 10:30 am

Parent & Tot 3: 11:30 am - 12:00 pm

Milford Bay:

Parent & Tot 1 and 2: 2:30 pm - 3:00 pm

Parent & Tot 3: 2:00 pm - 2:30 pm

Preschool 1

These preschoolers will have fun learning to get in and out of the water. We'll help them jump into chest deep water. They'll float and glide on their front and back and learn to get their faces wet and blow bubbles underwater.

Age: 3-5 years

Prerequisite: None

Price: $60

Bala:

2:30 pm - 3:00 pm

Milford Bay:

11:30 am - 12:00 pm

Bala:

11:30 am - 12:00 pm

Milford Bay:

2:00 pm - 2:30 pm

Bala:

2:00 pm - 2:30 pm

Milford Bay:

11:30 am - 12:00 pm

Bala:

11:30 am - 12:00 pm 

Milford Bay:

2:00 pm - 2:30 pm 

Preschool 2

These preschoolers learn to jump into chest-deep water by themselves, and get in and get out wearing a lifejacket. They'll submerge and exhale underwater. Wearing a lifejacket they'll glide on their front and back.

Age: 3-5 years

Prerequisite: Preschool 1

Price: $60

Bala:

2:30 pm - 3:00 pm

Milford Bay:

11:00 am - 11:30 am

Bala:

11:00 am - 11:30 am

Milford Bay:

2:00 pm - 2:30 pm

Bala:

2:30 pm - 3:00 pm

Milford Bay:

11:00 am - 11:30 am or 11:30 am - 12:00 pm 

Bala:

11:30 am - 12:00 pm

Milford Bay:

2:30 pm - 3:00 pm 

Preschool 3

These youngsters will try both jumping and a sideways entry into deep water while wearing a lifejacket. They'll recover objects from the bottom in waist-deep water. They'll work on kicking and gliding through the water on their front and back.

Age: 3-5 years

Prerequisite: Preschool 2

Price: $60

Bala:

2:30 pm - 3:00 pm

Milford Bay:

11:30 am - 12:00 pm

Bala:

10:30 am - 11:00 am 

Milford Bay:

N/A

Bala:

N/A

Milford Bay:

11:00 am - 11:30 am

Bala:

11:00 am - 11:30 am 

Milford Bay:

1:30 pm - 2:00 pm

Preschool 4

Advanced preschoolers will learn to do solo jumps into deeper water and get out by themselves. They'll do sideways entries and open their eyes underwater. They'll master a short swim on their front wearing a lifejacket and gliding and kicking on their side.

Age: 3-5 years

Prerequisite: Preschool 3

Price: $60

Bala:

2:30 pm - 3:00 pm

Milford Bay:

10:45 am - 11:15 am

Bala:

10:30 am - 11:00 am

Milford Bay:

N/A

Bala:

2:00 pm - 2:30 pm

Milford Bay:

10:30 am - 11:00 am

Bala:

10:30 am - 11:00 am 

Milford Bay:

2:30 pm - 3:00 pm 

Preschool 5

These youngsters get more adventuresome with a forward roll entry wearing a lifejacket and treading water for 10 sec. They'll work on front and back crawl swims for 5 m, interval training and get a giggle out of whip kick.

Age: 3-5 years

Prerequisite: Preschool 4

Price: $60

Bala:

N/A

Milford Bay:

10:15 am - 10:45 am

Bala:

10:00 am - 10:30 am

Milford Bay:

N/A

Bala:

2:00 pm - 2:30 pm 

Milford Bay:

10:00 am - 10:30 am 

Bala:

10:00 am - 10:30 am

Milford Bay:

1:30 pm - 2:00 pm

Children's Program – Swimmer

All swim participants (exclusive of the Preschool and Parent & Tot Lessons) must be a minimum of six years of age.

Swimmer 1

These beginners will become comfortable jumping into water with and without a lifejacket. They'll learn to open their eyes, exhale and hold their breath underwater. They'll work on floats, glides and kicking through the water on their front and back.

Age: 6+ years

Prerequisite: None

Price: $60

Bala:

2:15 pm - 2:45 pm

Milford Bay:

10:00 am - 10:30 am or 11:30 am - 12:00 pm

Bala:

10:00 am - 10:30 am

Milford Bay:

1:30 pm - 2:00 pm

Bala:

1:30 pm - 2:00 pm

Milford Bay:

11:30 am - 12:00 pm

Bala:

11:00 am - 11:30 am

Milford Bay:

1:30 pm - 2:00 pm 

Swimmer 2

These advanced beginners will jump into deeper water, and learn to be comfortable falling sideways into the water wearing a lifejacket. They'll be able to support themselves at the surface without an aid, learn whip kick, swim 10 m on their front and back, and be introduced to flutter kick interval training (4 x 5 m).

Age: 6+ years

Prerequisite: Swimmer 1

Price: $60

Bala:

1:30 pm - 2:00 pm

Milford Bay:

10:00 am - 10:30 am

Bala:

9:30 am - 10:00 am

Milford Bay:

1:30 pm - 2:00 pm 

Bala:

1:30 pm - 2:00 pm 

Milford Bay:

11:00 am - 11:30 am

Bala:

9:45 am - 10:15 am

Milford Bay:

2:00 pm - 2:30 pm

Swimmer 3

These junior swimmers will dive and do in-water front somersaults and handstands. They'll work on 15 m of front crawl, back crawl and 10 m of whip kick. Flutter kick interval training increases to 4 x 15 m.

Age: 6+ years

Prerequisite: Swimmer 2

Price: $60

Bala:

2:00 pm - 2:30 pm

Milford Bay:

10:30 am - 11:00 am

Bala:

9:45 am - 10:15 am

Milford Bay:

2:30 pm - 3:00 pm

Bala:

2:00 pm - 2:30 pm 

Milford Bay:

10:00 am - 10:30 am

Bala:

11:00 am - 11:30 am 

Milford Bay:

2:30 pm - 3:00 pm

Swimmer 4

These intermediate swimmers will swim 5 m underwater and lengths of front, back crawl, whip kick, and breaststroke arms with breathing. Their new bag of tricks includes the completion of the Canadian Swim to Survive® Standard. They'll cap it all off with front crawl sprints over 25 m and 4 x 25 m front or back crawl interval training.

Age: 6+ years

Prerequisite: Swimmer 3

Price: $60

Bala:

N/A

Milford Bay:

9:00 am - 9:30 am

Bala:

9:30 am - 10:00 am

Milford Bay:

2:30 pm - 3:00 pm

Bala:

1:30 pm - 2:00 pm

Milford Bay:

10:30 am - 11:00 am

Bala:

10:30 am - 11:00 am

Milford Bay:

2:00 pm - 2:30 pm

Swimmer 5

These swimmers will master shallow dives, cannonball entries, eggbeater kicks, and in-water backward somersaults. They'll refine their front and back crawl over 50 m swims of each, and breaststroke over 25 m. Then they'll pick up the pace in 25 m sprints and two interval training bouts: 4 x 50 m front or back crawl; and 4 x 15 m breaststroke.

Age: 6+ years

Prerequisite: Swimmer 4

Price: $60

Bala:

N/A

Milford Bay:

9:00 am - 9:45 am

Bala:

9:00 am - 9:30 am

Milford Bay:

2:30 pm - 3:00 pm

Bala:

1:30 pm - 2:00 pm

Milford Bay:

10:00 am - 10:30 am

Bala:

10:30 am - 11:00 am

Milford Bay:

1:30 pm - 2:00 pm

Swimmer 6

These advanced swimmers will rise to the challenge of sophisticated aquatic skills including stride entries, compact jumps and lifesaving kicks like eggbeater and scissor kick. They'll develop strength and power in head-up breaststroke sprints over 25 m. They'll easily swim lengths of front crawl, back crawl, and breaststroke, and they'll complain about the 300 m workout.

Age: 6+ years

Prerequisite: Swimmer 5

Price: $60

Bala:

N/A

Milford Bay:

9:00 am - 9:45 am

Bala:

9:00 am - 9:45 am

Milford Bay:

2:30 pm - 3:00 pm

Bala:

2:30 pm - 3:00 pm

Milford Bay:

9:00 am - 9:45 am

Bala:

9:00 am - 9:45 am

Milford Bay:

N/A

Lifesaving Program

Leadership Courses may be offered pending sufficient registration. These courses required additional course materials which may be purchased prior to the lesson start date or through the Township for an additional fee.

Rookie Patrol

Swimmers continue stroke development with 50 m swims of front crawl, back crawl and breaststroke. Lifesaving Sport skills include a 25 m obstacle swim and 15 m object carry. First aid focuses on assessment of conscious victims, contacting EMS and treatment for bleeding.  Fitness improves in 350 m workouts and 100 m timed swims.

Prerequisite: Swimmer 6 or equivalent

Price: $60

Bala:

1:30 pm - 2:15 pm

Milford Bay:

N/A

Bala:

N/A

Milford Bay:

1:30 pm - 2:15 pm

Bala:

N/A

Milford Bay:

9:00 am - 9:45 am

Bala:

9:00 am - 9:45 am

Milford Bay:

N/A

Ranger Patrol

Swimmers develop better strokes over 75 m swims of each stroke. They tackle Lifesaving Sport skills in a lifesaving medley, timed object support and rescue with a buoyant aid. First aid focuses on assessment of unconscious victims, treatment of victims in shock and obstructed airway procedures. Skill drills develop a strong lifesaving foundation.

Prerequisite: Rookie Patrol or equivalent

Price: $60

Bala:

1:30 pm - 2:15 pm

Milford Bay:

N/A

Bala:

N/A

Milford Bay:

1:30 pm - 2:15 pm

Bala:

N/A

Milford Bay:

9:00 am - 9:45 am

Bala:

9:00 am - 9:45 am

Milford Bay:

N/A

Star Patrol

Swimmers are challenged with 600 m workouts, 300 m timed swims and a 25 m object carry. Strokes are refined over 100 m swims. First aid focuses on treatment of bone or joint injuries and respiratory emergencies including asthma and allergic reactions. Lifesaving skills include defence methods, victim removals and rolling over and supporting a victim face up in shallow water.

Prerequisite: Ranger Patrol or equivalent

Price: $60

Bala:

1:30 pm - 2:15 pm

Milford Bay:

N/A

Bala:

N/A

Milford Bay:

1:30 pm - 2:15 pm

Bala:

N/A

Milford Bay:

9:00 am - 9:45 am

Bala:

9:00 am - 9:45 am

Milford Bay:

N/A

Bronze Star

Develops swimming proficiency, lifesaving skill and personal fitness. Candidates refine their stroke mechanics, acquire self-rescue skills, and apply fitness principles in training workouts. Bronze Star is excellent preparation for success in Bronze Medallion and provides a fun introduction to lifesaving sport.

Prerequisite: Star Patrol Recommended

Price: $80

Bala:

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm

Milford Bay:

N/A

Bala:

N/A

Milford Bay:

2:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Bala:

N/A

Milford Bay:

9:00 am - 10:00 am

Bala:

9:00 am - 10:00 am

Milford Bay:

N/A 

Bronze Medallion & Emergency First Aid

Challenges the candidate both mentally and physically. Judgment, knowledge, skill, and fitness – the four components of water rescue – form the basis of Bronze Medallion training. Candidates acquire the assessment and problem-solving skills needed to make good decisions in, on, and around the water. Bronze Medallion is a prerequisite for assistant lifeguard training in Bronze Cross.

Prerequisite: Minimum 13 years of age at time of registration or Bronze Star

Price: $170

Bala:

1:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Milford Bay:

N/A

Bala:

N/A

Milford Bay:

1:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Bala:

N/A

Milford Bay:

9:00 am - 11:00 am

Bala:

9:00 am - 11:00 am

Milford Bay:

N/A

Bronze Cross

Designed for lifesavers who want the challenge of more advanced training. A prerequisite for all advanced training programs including National Lifeguard and Instructor certification.

Prerequisite: Bronze Medallion & Emergency First Aid

Price: $160

Bala:

1:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Milford Bay:

N/A

Bala:

N/A

Milford Bay:

1:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Bala:

N/A

Milford Bay:

9:00 am - 11:00 am

Bala:

9:00 am - 11:00 am

Milford Bay:

N/A

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