BARRIE, ONT. --
The demand to get children into swimming lessons increased after Ontario gave the green light to resume teaching the lifesaving skill.
"We're close to almost over 500 registrations," said Ross Johnston, owner of Big Splash Swimming Academy. "We are excited to open, but at the same time, we are trying to accommodate as many young children as possible."
Janna Whitfield paid for private lessons at a friend's pool for her two children, three and five years old, to learn basic skills.
"When I was a kid, I could swim by their age," she said.
For months recreational centres have been closed, and public safety protocols restricted visiting friends, contributing factors to her children falling behind, as far as Whitfield is concerned.