To celebrate local government awareness week, we’re profiling winners of the 2025 Community Excellence Awards winners. These projects exemplify the best in local government governance and service delivery.
The Township of Esquimalt won the 2025 Excellence in Service Delivery Award for its Youth Aquatic Safety & Leadership Program. Facing a critical shortage of lifeguards and swim instructors, Esquimalt started integrating lifeguard certification into high school PE classes. Now 24% of Esquimalt’s lifeguard workforce are program graduates.
In 2021 a critical shortage of lifeguards and swim instructors was forcing temporary closures of Esquimalt’s pools, and reducing aquatic services.
Training opportunities were limited, and cost as much as $500 which was a barrier for many young people. The Youth Aquatic Safety & Leadership Program tackled this challenge head‑on by embedding lifeguard and first aid certification directly into high school PE classes through partnerships with local schools. This approach reduced costs to just $108 per student, removed logistical barriers, and created a direct pipeline from classroom to community employment.
Aquatic programs have been restored, and youth are gaining meaningful employment, leadership skills, and community connection. This practical, creative solution turned a service crisis into a long‑term win for public safety, youth development, and local service delivery.
Applications for the 2026 Community Excellence Awards are open until May 29.
One of the objectives of the Community Excellence Awards is to encourage peer-to-peer learning among local governments, by highlighting exceptional projects. To learn more about Esquimalt’s Youth Aquatic Safety & Leadership Program, get in touch with Steve Knoke, Director of Parks and Recreation Services (250-412-8509).
The Community Excellence Awards recognize local governments and UBCM member First Nations projects or programs that have gone above and beyond in meeting the purposes of local government in BC. The awards are intended to showcase outstanding initiatives and share them with other members to implement in their own communities. The service delivery category recognizes UBCM members that provide effective services in a proactive manner and demonstrate benefit to the community.