Dive into winter!

Registration is now open for winter swim lessons and aquatic leadership programs 

Swimming isn’t just a summer activity – you can enjoy it all year long! Registration is now open at vaughan.perfectmind.comfor Vaughan residents looking to sign up for swim lessons and aquatic leadership programs. Registration for non-residents opens on Tuesday, Nov. 25.

Programs start on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026 at all Vaughan community centre pools. Vaughan’s winter swim courses include programs for:

• parents and tots
• preschoolers
• teens
• adults

Aquatic leadership programs

Aquatic leadership programs provide a fun and challenging progression of life-saving training programs, which can lead to prestigious part-time jobs as a City of Vaughan swim instructor or lifeguard. Here are a few program highlights:

• Vaughan Lifesaving Club: a competitive sport program established by the Canadian Lifesaving Society.
• Three bronze medal awards (Bronze Star, Bronze Medallion and Bronze Cross): designed for swimmers between the ages of eight and 15 years old.
• First-aid certifications: empower yourself with life-saving knowledge.
• Lifesaving and swim instructor training: prepares individuals to organize, plan, teach and evaluate basic swim strokes, lifesaving skills, first aid skills, resuscitation techniques and related skills.
• National Lifeguard certification: the Canadian industry standard for working as a lifeguard.

Interested in becoming a swim instructor and/or lifeguard in Vaughan? Check out the City’s Aquatic Leadership brochure (PDF), which has a Leadership Progression Chart outlining the path to becoming a Vaughan swim instructor and lifeguard.

Special interest programs

Check out the City’s special interest programs this winter! Highlights include:

Fitness Swimmer: Beginner or Advanced (for ages eight to 13 years old)

• Based on training principles and practices, including interval training, sprints and distance swims, candidates will set their own goals, design workouts and learn to use pace clocks and timers to reach their target zone.

Vaughan Lifesaving Club (ages eight to 16 years old) and Vaughan Lifesaving Club Masters (ages 18 years and up)

• Throughout the year, certified Canadian Lifesaving Society coaches will help participants develop skills across five individual lifesaving events – obstacle swim, tow with fins, lifesaving medley, throwing accuracy and object support – and offer training for team events, including obstacle relay and medley relay. The program focuses on building overall fitness, while encouraging teamwork, sportsmanship, personal achievements and fun.

Vaughan Lifesaving Sport (ages eight to 16 years old) 

• Combine your athletic ability with lifesaving skills in the City of Vaughan’s Lifesaving Sport program. Participants will develop rescue techniques through five core events — obstacle swim, tow with fins, lifesaving medley, throwing accuracy and object support — plus two team relays. Each session includes a friendly swim meet, with opportunities to compete in the Junior Telegames and provincial championships in June. Prerequisite: Teen/Adult Swim 2 or Swimmer 4.

Visit vaughan.ca/swim to browse swim lessons and aquatic leadership courses and head over to vaughan.perfectmind.com to register. 

The online registration system is available 24-7 and features enhanced search filters, allowing you to sort by level, location, date and time. If you require assistance creating an online PerfectMind account, call Service Vaughan at 905-832-2281, email rec@vaughan.ca or watch this short informational video. 

Winter recreation programs 

Registration for general recreation programs opens at 7 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 20 for residents at vaughan.perfectmind.com. Registration for non-residents opens on Thursday, Nov. 27. Programming begins Saturday, Jan. 10 at all community centres, the City Playhouse Theatre and the Vaughan Studios & Event Space. View the full list of programs in the Winter Recreation eGuide at vaughan.ca/recreation.

About RecAssist
RecAssist is the City of Vaughan’s fee assistance program, designed to ensure residents of all incomes can participate in active-living opportunities and experiences. Qualified recipients receive financial support to participate in a wide range of recreation programs at community centres and other City facilities across Vaughan. RecAssist is exclusively supported through fundraisers and generous donations. Availability of funding is subject to change. For information about making a donation or applying for RecAssist, visit vaughan.ca/RecAssist, email rec@vaughan.ca or call 905-832‑2281.

To learn more about Recreation Services and stay informed about new programs and special promotions, sign up for the Recreation Services eNewsletter and follow the official channels on Facebook and Instagram.

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