The City of Burlington offers a variety of swimming and aquatic programs. Recreation and Lap indoor swims are available to be reserved in advance or walk-in. The outdoor pools are walk-in only, no reservations. Walk-ins are welcome if capacity has not been reached. Admission is not guaranteed.
Explore our programs, including recreational, fitness and lesson options.
| When do the outdoor pools open? |
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Outdoor Pools will be opening earlier this summer with modified programming in place between May 24 and June 27, with the regular summer schedule begins on June 28.
Stay informed by checking out our schedule online, which will be fully available for viewing starting May 1, 2025. |
Recreational Swimming
We offer several swimming and aquatic fitness drop-in programs, including Fun Swim, Leisure Swim, Water Running, and others. Everyone is welcome to enjoy Burlington’s recreational swimming opportunities, swims are available to be reserved in advance or walk-in at the indoor pools or walk-in at the outdoor pools this summer.
Lap swim
Lap swim programs are an excellent fitness options for swimmers of all abilities. Lap swims will be walk-in at the outdoor pools, no reservations. Indoor lap swims will continue with walk-in and reserve your spot.
Aquatic fitness
We offer several types of aquatic fitness programs that helps improve stamina, endurance and muscle strength while reducing stress on joints. Reservations are available at indoor and outdoor pools. We recommend to reserve in advance, walk-in will only be admitted when capacity allows.
Aquatic leadership
The City of Burlington offers many Aquatic Lifesaving Leadership courses that will prepare candidates for both leadership and employment opportunities.
13 years and under can complete Bronze Star (10 to 13 years) and/or join the Junior Lifeguard Club
15 years and older can now work as a Lifeguard and Swim Instructor.
| Want to become a lifeguard? |
| Register for an aquatic leadership program to get started! |
| Step 1 (13 Years+ or Bronze Star) |
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Bronze Medallion Emergency First Aid with CPR-B Volunteer with us! Apply online on our volunteer page. |
| Bronze Cross |
| Offered as a stand alone or a combined course with Standard First Aid |
| Standard First Aid with CPR-C |
| Offered as a stand alone or a combined course with Bronze Cross |
| Burlington Lifeguards require all 4 Certifications |
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Complete in any order
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| Congratulations! |
| You are now fully certified! Apply online on our careers page. |
| What are the options if my child is close to meeting the age or prerequisite requirement for a course? |
| Unfortunately, candidates need to meet any age requirement before the end of the course. This is a standard set by the Lifesaving Society, and certifications cannot be issued if this (or any other) prerequisites are not met. |
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What opportunities are available for children who aren’t quite old enough for the next course? |
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JLC: The Junior Lifeguard Club offers a unique aquatic adventure for those kids 9-11 and 12-15 years old who love the water and who want more than just lessons. The Club stresses fun and aquatic skill development based on personal best achievement. Building on the skills they already have, JLC members are introduced to the world of lifesaving sport and work to develop and improve swimming and other aquatic skills in a fun and competition-based approach. The program emphasizes: swimming skills; lifesaving skills, lifesaving knowledge, leadership and teamwork, community education, competition and personal fitness. Volunteering: Aquatic volunteers must be a minimum of 13 years old with valid Bronze Medallion certification. |
| What should I do if I have to miss a day of my leadership course? |
| 100% attendance is advised for aquatic leadership courses. This is the best way to ensure candidates don’t miss any content and get extra attempts or opportunities to practice skills they are struggling with. Exceptions can sometimes be made at the discretion of the instructor but note that some courses have a minimum time commitment and does not make this possible. |
| How does the Leadership Drop-In program work and what can I expect? |
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Leadership Drop In practice sessions are a place where candidates currently enrolled in a City of Burlington Aquatic Leadership course can attend for free to practice skills from class. There are instructors on deck during these sessions that to assist candidates and give feedback, but this is not a make-up or prep class. Participants must come prepared with the specific items/skills they need to work on. It is a space to practice, not a space to learn brand new skills. Leadership Drop in options/schedules can be found alongside our lap swim drop in options. |
| Why are some Bronze Cross courses with Standard First Aid (SFA), and some are not? |
| SFA is only included during our Crash Courses (one weeklong). Crash courses allow you to have continuous practice and achieve certificates quickly. However, in a longer style course, candidates tend to have a harder time separating the content of the two certifications (SFA s only covered during the beginning of the class and is the shorter compared to Bronze Cross so can feel like it gets lost). We find for participant learning, separating the qualifications into the two courses is better for learning. |
Swimming Lessons
We offer swimming lessons for all swimming ability levels. Our lessons follow the Swim for Life™ learn to swim program to develop swimming skills that will last a lifetime. You are never too young to learn how to swim and never too old to start.
| Can I request an instructor? |
| You can submit instructor requests to liveandplay@burlington.ca. Please include the location of the course along with the name of your requested instructor. Please note that while the aquatics team will accommodate to the best of our ability, requests are not guaranteed. |
| Can I reschedule or get a refund for a single lesson if I know I’ll be away? |
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Make up sessions or refunds are not available for group classes missed due to absence. |
Online Progress Cards
The City of Burlington has moved to online progress reports for our Learn to Swim Program.
With online progress reports you receive a number of benefits:
- View and print progress reports at any time and you can share with others.
- Instant access to what you need to register for the next level.
- A record of your child’s progress report and you can save it to your personal files.
On the last lesson, your child’s instructor will give you and your child a verbal assessment of how the session progressed and will discuss if your child was successful in completing all required swim items for their level.
- You will receive an email with your Contact ID number for your Live&Play account
- The following Link can be used by parents and swimmers to view progress cards.
- Enter the Contact ID number from your Live&Play account.
- View your swimmers progress card report at your convenience
Swim levels and progressions
The Swim for Life™ program offers the following levels for different swimming abilities and ages. These can be used to determine what program will best fit your child's needs.
Parent and Tot 1 - 4 to 12 months old |
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This program is designed for infants 4 to 12 months old who are ready to learn to enjoy the water with a parent. Please note that the skills in this class are tailored to this stage in development. |
Parent and Tot 2 - 12 to 24 months old |
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This program is designed for infants 12 to 24 months old who are ready to learn to enjoy the water with a parent. Please note that the skills in this class are tailored to this stage in development. |
Parent and Tot 3 - 2 to 3 years old |
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This program is designed for toddlers 2 to 3 years old who are ready to learn to enjoy the water with a parent. Please note that the skills in this class are tailored to this stage in development. |
Timid Toddler/Little Splashers - 2.5 to 5 years old |
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These programs are designed for toddlers 2.5 to 5 years old who are just starting out on their own. Timid Toddlers mirrors a Preschool 1 program, but also focuses on slowly transitioning children from doing swimming skills with their parent, to completing skills with an instructor. Parents start in the water on day 1, and slowly work towards being out of the water as the course progresses. Little Splashers is a play-based level where parents are not in the water. The goal of the program is to provide a comfortable fun environment for children to enjoy the water and get used to swimming with an instructor. |
Preschool 1 - 3 to 5 years old |
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This program is designed for children 3 to 5 years old who can move through shallow water with assistance and are ready to explore and learn with a swim instructor. |
Preschool 2 - 3 to 5 years old |
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This program is designed for children 3 to 5 years old who can:
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Preschool 3 - 3 to 5 years old |
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This program is designed for children 3 to 5 years old who can:
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Preschool 4 - 3 to 5 years old |
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This program is designed for children 3 to 5 years old who can:
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Preschool 5 - 3 to 5 years old |
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This program is designed for children 3 to 5 years old who can:
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Swimmer 1 - 5 to 13 years old |
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This program is designed for youth who are 5 to 13 years old and are just starting out. |
Swimmer 2 - 5 to 13 years old |
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This program is designed for youth 5 to 13 years old who can:
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Swimmer 3 - 5 to 13 years old |
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This program is designed for youth 5 to 13 years old who can:
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Swimmer 4 - 5 to 13 years old |
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This program is designed for youth 5 to 13 years old who can:
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Swimmer 5 - 5 to 13 years old |
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This program is designed for who are 5 to 13 years old who can:
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Swimmer 6 - 5 to 13 years old |
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This program is designed for who are 5 to 13 years old who can:
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Swimmer 7 - 5 to 13 years old |
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This program is designed for who are 5 to 13 years old who can:
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Swimmer 8 (Rookie Patrol) - 5 to 13 years old |
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This program is designed for This program is designed for who are 5 to 13 years old and the preferred progression after completing Swimmer 7. |
Swimmer 9 (Ranger Patrol) - 5 to 13 years old |
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This program is designed for This program is designed for who are 5 to 13 years old and the preferred progression after completing Swimmer 8. |
Swimmer 10 (Star Patrol) - 5 to 13 years old |
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This program is designed for This program is designed for who are 5 to 13 years old and the preferred progression after completing Swimmer 9. |
Bronze Star - 10 to 15 years old |
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This program is designed for This program is designed for who are 10 to 15 years old and the preferred progression after completing Swimmer 10. |
Healthy Swim Etiquette
To reduce the risk of spreading germs and to keep our pools clean, remember the following when participating in our swimming programs.
- Shower before you swim
Please shower with soap and warm water before entering or re-entering the pool. - Wear appropriate footwear
Bring clean flip flops or sandals to wear on the pool deck. Street shoes are not permitted. - Not feeling well?
Swimmers should not use the pool when ill, or if they have experienced diarrhea in the past week. - What to wear?
Patrons on the pool deck must be dressed in suitable bathing attire and pay the posted admission fee. Children that are not toilet trained must wear swim diapers made for swimming pool use. These are available for purchase in the pool office. - Food-free zone
No food on the pool deck. Only water in reusable, non-glass, drinking containers is permitted on the pool deck. - Photographic devices
The use of any device capable of taking a photo is prohibited in the showers, change rooms and washrooms.
Pool closures
Check out our pool closure newsfeed for updates on pool closures.
Pool Locations
Find a pool closest to you.