The Revelstoke Community and Aquatic Centre is a busy spot in the winter for locals and visitors, and some people are wondering why it isn't offering more services and programming.

The City of Revelstoke's Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture runs the pool, and Department Supervisor Laurie Donato says they have to hire two to three part-time or full-time certified lifeguards before they can increase capacity.

"We’re trying to balance the schedule out so all users have a little bit of something but we know not everyone’s happy about it," she said.

Pools across the country are running on reduced services because they can't recruit lifeguards. During the lockdowns in the last two years, lifeguards moved on from their jobs when pools were closed. Now there is a shortage of lifeguards to fill positions, and train new lifeguards.

When StokeFM spoke in the spring to Dale Miller, the executive director of the Lifesaving Society of B.C. and Yukon, he said he expected the backlog to take about a year-and-a-half to clear.

Donato says they're interviewing "a couple people" in January who would relocate to Revelstoke if hired.

Melissa Klages, her spouse and two young kids use the pool especially in the winter time.

"It’s tough here in the winter for families," she said, "it can be really dreary and bad weather, and so we need our pool it’s like a lifeline."

When they have friends and family visit they usually go to the pool too, Klages said.

Right now the pool isn't open on Sundays, past 7 p.m., and swimming lessons (which are hard to get into) are scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

Klages says she understands about staffing shortages because of COVID-19, but she wishes the city would get input from the public when they set services levels at the pool.

"So in my opinion the thing that would really help everyone is engagement between the city and citizens."

Donato says the city does frequent posts on social media and through the city's active net user system which sends out notices to people registered in programs. She says people can email prc@revelstoke.ca—they do a good job of responding within 24 hours.

Klages says sometimes she finds this communication is responding to the public's frustration, rather than proactively engaging.

The pool runs a deficit every year, she says, which is normal for municipalities because residents view it as an asset.

"We value it as an asset, so then, it should serve the community," Klages said.

Recently the city sent out an online poll with questions about recreation.

"And I thought, that's a effective way to start talking to people," she said.

Klages wants the city to start thinking outside the box when it comes to engaging citizens in order to determine services levels.

"And that's in all aspects of...municipal government and its citizens," she said.

As for why the pool is closed on Sunday, Donato says if it were to be open, they would have to close another day. Donato and pool supervisor Nikki Maddison understand that 3:30 p.m. swimming lessons are hard for parents who work during the day.

During the pandemic lockdowns they changed the schedule so swimming lessons and public swims are at different time, a change they say got positive feedback from instructors, parents and students. So now they have to schedule in swimming lessons and public swim.

"It's just gives and takes," Donato said, "somewhere there has to be some gives so that we can balance the schedule and offer public swims as well."

She acknowledges that swimming lessons fill up in the blink of an eye, and says for people to sign up for the waitlist, because it means they be automatically enrolled next time. Overall Donato and Maddison are proud of their swimming lesson program, saying it is a good news story.

"I feel like we’re putting out as much as we can, and a lot more than some other communities are offering," Maddison said.

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