The Lifesaving Society is the Canadian governing body for competitive lifesaving – a sport recognized by the International Olympic Committee.

In the 1930s, the Lifesaving Society began lifesaving races. In the 1960s, the Society began organizing provincial lifeguard championships.

Canadian championships: In 1977, the Society hosted the first Canadian Lifeguard Championship at the Pan-Am pool in Winnipeg. This national championship has been an annual feature of competition in Canada ever since.

In 1998, the first Canadian Junior Lifeguard Games were staged at Carleton University pool in Ottawa.

In 2000, the Society sanctioned the first Canadian Surf Lifesaving Championship at Risser’s Beach Nova Scotia. In 2001, a Masters division was included in this annual open water championship.

In 2001 for the first time, the Canadian Lifeguard Championship in Edmonton included internationally standardized race events in addition to Canada’s traditional simulated emergency response events.

In 2002, a Masters division was inaugurated at the Canadian Lifeguard Championship at Toronto’s Etobicoke Olympium, and a junior competition was introduced at the Canadian Surf Lifesaving Championship.

Thus by 2002, Canadians could compete in junior, senior and masters divisions of open water and pool Canadian championships.

International competition: In 1986, the Society hosted the first of the bi-annual international “rescue series” – Rescue ’86 which featured the World Lifesaving Championships at Kitsilano Beach and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.

Throughout the 1990s, various teams represented Canada in international competition. In 2000, the Society officially designated a National Lifesaving Team to represent Canada internationally. Canadian lifeguards were invited to participate in a series of training selection camps and National Team members were selected on the basis of their performance at these camps.

On its first international outing at the World Lifesaving Championships (Rescue 2000) in Sydney, Australia, the Canadian National Lifesaving Team qualified for the 2001 Goodwill Games in Brisbane.