CBC News: Can we afford lifeguards at provincial parks?

I woke up slowly this morning and began to tune in to a story on the radio about a woman who almost drowned at Sandbanks Provincial Park (south of Belleville and Picton in Prince Edward County) and the call for lifeguards or park staff at all the beaches in such parks.

Though drowsy, my mind began to churn.

I could understand why the caller wanted more safety measures put in place. It had been traumatic for her to watch a swimmer get dragged out of the water. It had taken some time to reach a phone to call 911. The 911 operator didn’t recognize the name of the park and wanted a definite location, e.g., a major intersection, and the park isn’t at an intersection. It took 50 minutes before an ambulance arrived on the scene.


["Sandbanks Provincial Park, Prince Edward County, Ont.": GAH]

I thought, sure, madam, the park system could hire more staff if that’s what the community wants.

But that opened up a few doors of discussion.

First, Canada is huge, isn’t it? The number of parks, the miles of beaches - it boggles the mind.

New staff will be expensive. We want taxes to rise? People are willing to pay?

If the present staff has to include ‘life-guarding services’ to their itinerary then something else would have to go, e.g., finding tourists who get lost, warding off bears, manning the gates, etc. Are people ready to wait longer for other park services? (“If you are phoning to reserve a campsite please press 3, and be prepared to wait until our lifeguard returns from the beach. It’s a very big beach.”)

Personally, I think it’s too easy or just habit to think on a big scale, e.g., “we want more staff on all the beaches.” Over the last 65 years, as our country grew wealthier, we funded more and more services for the public good on a regular basis. Want more hospitals? You got it. More paved highways? Right away. More services? Ditto.


["Neys Provincial Park, Lake Superior. Not a lifeguard in sight."}

Even as individuals or as families we’ve put our wealth toward bigger this and that, e.g, more square footage, more horsepower, more appliances, more clothing, more food on our plates, more types of mustard inside a fridge the size of a small nation. To the point of bursting at the seams.

We may be at the point in history when we need to say the following:

We can’t keep adding on and adding on, growing bigger as parks, public works departments, governments, homeowners, etc.


["Pancake bay, Lake Superior. No lifeguards": photos GH]

We need to learn to prioritize.

You want something? What are you willing to give up in order to fund it?

I think, if we lived small (small house, car, meals, closets, etc.) we’d have more money for things related to the public good, for services all could benefit from and enjoy. If we de-emphasized our individual wants there would be more money for community-based services.

But we’re a long way from that philosophy.

***

And now I’m awake. And it’s time for coffee.

.