Canada's lifeguarding experts - working to prevent drowning for over 100 years.
The Lifesaving Society is a full-service provider of programs, products and services designed to prevent drowning. We save lives and prevent water-related injury through our training programs, Water Smart® public education, aquatic safety management services, lifesaving sport and water incident research.
We are a national volunteer organization and registered charity composed of tens of thousands of individual members, and over 2,000 affiliated swimming pools, waterfronts, schools, and clubs. We are a leader and partner in the delivery of water safety education throughout Canada and around the world. The Society operates globally in over 40 countries. We represent Canada internationally in the Royal Life Saving Society and the International Life Saving Federation.
In Canada, we have been teaching water safety and water rescue to Canadians since 1896. Established in England (1891) as The Swimmers' Life Saving Society, we became The Royal Life Saving Society in 1904. Today, Canadians know us as simply the Lifesaving Society.
Royal Life Saving Society Commonwealth
The Royal Life Saving Society is the Commonwealth's largest water-safety education, lifesaving and lifeguard training organization and is represented in over 50 countries with over 2 million lifesaving and resuscitation awards taken annually worldwide.
The Society is a charity registered with the Charity Commission and is governed by Royal Charter.
The Role of the Royal Life Saving Society Commonwealth Headquarters is to take a leadership and partnership role in coordinating drowning prevention initiatives and activities world-wide by facilitating the development of community-based drowning prevention strategies and lifesaving education programmes across Commonwealth nations.
HM Queen Elizabeth II is the Patron of the Royal Life Saving Society and HRH Prince Michael of Kent GCVO is the active Commonwealth President.
The Society is governed by the Commonwealth Management Committee which functions as our Trustee Board. The Commonwealth Management Committee is made up of elected branch Presidents representing the Society's three regional areas (Asia Pacific, Americas/Caribbean and Africa/Europe).
The operational functions of the Society are delegated to Commonwealth Headquarters, supported by a number of sub-Committees focusing on Business Development, Lifesaving Development and Lifesaving Sport Development.
Lifesaving Society Alberta and Northwest Territories Branch
The Alberta and Northwest Territories Branch serves the Society's provincial and territorial affiliates, individual members and the general public. The Branch also serves as the official liaison with the provincial and territorial governments and their agencies.
Some Lifesaving Society products and programs are nationally recognized throughout the country; however, each branch has the ability to develop and deliver its own products and programs. As an affiliate of the Alberta and Northwest Territories Branch, you can license our products and programs to suit your needs. Public and private facilities or business can affiliate with the AB & NWT Lifesaving Society as well as individual members. In addition to our provincial/territorial affiliates, other Society branches and organizations and individuals within Canada and internationally can also affiliate to license our programs or products.
The Society also works together with our many partnerships to promote water safety education and awareness. Other partners include government agencies that provide funding and sponsorship to allow for the development of new programs.
