Pilot project | Swimming lessons as a gift in a disadvantaged environment

Thursday evening, 16 children attending an elementary school in Montreal North celebrated the success of their last swimming lesson, under the amazed gaze of their parents, thanks to the Lutins organization. And seeing the success of the pilot project, they will probably not be the only cohort to benefit from it.

It’s 3 p.m., a Thursday in September, and the bell rings at Saint-Vincent-Marie school. After school, volunteers and taxis waited for 16 second-graders, who headed, with a mixture of fear, dread and excitement, to their first swimming lesson.

“And none of them knew how to swim at the start,” said Fanny Gendron, member of the board of directors of the Les Lutins organization, at the origin of the pilot project.

Eight weeks later, nothing else existed other than the impressive progress of these young girls and boys, in the small enclosure of the swimming pool at the Aquapro swimming school, in Laval.

If they were all very fearful, two months earlier, at the idea of ​​simply dipping their heads in the water, the lengths, jumps and water games followed one after the other… Under the eyes of their parents, who had never seen them swim before.

“I now know how to jump into the hollow!” I will be able to swim with my friends,” declared little Emma at the end of the session.

During a trip to the pool last year, the school was forced to purchase more than 75 life jackets, since the aquatic center did not have enough for all the children who could not swim .

“There was really a need, and it’s crazy to see them now,” reacted M^me Gendron, also a remedial teacher at the Saint-Vincent-Marie school.

The owners of the Aquapro swimming school, contacted by M^me Gendron, offered to teach the selected children themselves. They also distributed a swimming helmet and a swimsuit to each child.

The orthopedagogue is at the origin of a Christmas tradition implemented since 2017, in the establishment: the distribution of a personalized Christmas gift to all the students of this so-called disadvantaged school. Pajamas have even been added to the mix in the last year. “We said to ourselves that we wanted magic all year round, not just at Christmas, and we had the idea of ​​offering swimming lessons,” she explained to The Press.

The evening concluded around a meal provided by the sports center snack bar, after the presentation of medal diplomas to congratulate the young people.

“We feel lucky”

Parents, brothers and sisters, grandparents, uncles and aunts: all filmed the scene, completely captivated by the confidence of the 16 young people, but also amazed by the number of volunteers gathered.

“For a parent, it is so important to know that their child is well looked after, and that they are safe! It’s really well organized,” explained Blondine Jean Pierre, Floyd’s mother. His big brother, who never had access to swimming lessons, was also very proud.

After each lesson, a snack awaited the children before heading back to school, whose arrival was scheduled for around 6 p.m.

The grandmother of one of the apprentice swimmers, present Thursday evening, also insisted on ensuring the transport of her granddaughter from school to home in order to give a helping hand to her mother, a single parent, who might not have been able to afford the costs associated with the activity. It was the Lutins organization that covered the costs of the lessons, $300 for each child, and transportation, approximately $240 per week.

Cathy Roberts, mother of little Samuel, wanted to enroll her son in swimming lessons last summer, but was told that the wait was two years in her area. The nearest swimming pool, if available, would require a trip of at least 30 minutes, which would complicate the family routine.

Figures revealed by The Press last October reported the difficulty of accessing swimming lessons in Quebec at the moment. In some cities, barely one in ten children can hope to swim.

Crucial request

If Fanny Gendron was lucky enough to be able to count on the Aquapro swimming school in Laval, she would still have liked to be able to offer lessons in a pool closer to home.

“But there are almost no swimming pools in Montreal North. At the moment, only the Henri-Bourassa swimming pool is open, but it is overused,” she lamented.

The director of the Saint-Vincent-Marie school, who also attended the last class, assured of having discussions with the mayor of the district on this subject.

M^me Gendron said people can still donate to help other children learn to swim, through their fundraising site. Already in talks, she said the initiative could soon be taken up in other schools.