Antigonish County Recreation offers four Learn to Swim Programs annually: summer, fall, winter and spring. Visit the recreation departments' newsletter for current swim program details. For a brief overview of Red Cross Swim lessons offered by Antigonish County, click here.

Swimming Instructor Program     ..to the top..
The Red Cross also offers an Instructor Development Program which includes the new Assistant Water Safety Instructor, Water Safety Instructor and Water Safety Instructor Trainer courses. The Master Instructor Trainer designation is achieved through a recruitment and application process.

The Instructor Development Program has been designed to increase the quality and level of deck readiness of Red Cross Instructors. Through a streamlined two-phase process, candidates receive instructional theory and demonstrate their understanding through practical application. Practical hands-on teaching experience better prepares the candidate for further learning and application of the concepts. The two phases employ a co-op approach, used by many post-secondary institutions, to better prepare individuals and develop job readiness.

Phase 1	Phase 2	Optional Upgrade
Assistant Water Safety Instructor	Water Safety Instructor	Water Safety Instructor Trainer Course

Antigonish County Recreation offers both the new Assistant Water Safety Instructor and the Water Safety Instructor courses. Click here for more details.

Swim Patrol Program     ..to the top..
Antigonish County Recreation also offers the Lifesaving Society's Canadian Swim Patrol program, that includes Rookie, Ranger and Star Patrol, as well as the Bronze Star program. The swim patrol levels feature timed swims, workouts, and touches on first aid. The program is open to participants who have completed particular levels of the Red Cross Swim Program.

Lifeguard Services     ..to the top..
Antigonish County Recreation provides lifeguard services at Pomquet Beach and Bayfield Beach, during the summer months, from 10:00am to 6:00pm daily. Antigonish County Recreation works closely with the Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service to ensure that Pomquet and Bayfield services operate under the same supervision standards as NSLS beaches. Lifeguards ensure the safety of swimmers and beach-goers. All lifeguards hold current certification in Aquatic Emergency Care, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, National Lifeguard Service and Oxygen Therapy Certification.
Look for more information in the Summer Newsletter!

Personal Flotation Device (PFD) Loan Service     ..to the top..
Antigonish County Recreation, in conjunction with the Canadian Coast Guard and Helly Hansen, is offering a Personal Floatation Device (PFD) Loan Service to the public. PFDs can be borrowed from Antigonish County Recreation for a two week period free of charge. This service is offered year-round. PFDs are available on a first come, first served basis and cannot be reserved due to the volume of requests.

Mobile Play Program     ..to the top..
The Mobile Play Program is a funfilled program which is offered to various communities in Antigonish County throughout the summer. The program gives children the opportunity to meet new friends while participating in low organized games, arts 'n crafts, music and drama. It is a week-long program offered to children ages 4 - 12.
Look for more information in our Summer Preview or the Summer Newsletter!

Day Camps for Youth     ..to the top..

• Survivor Camp
  Survivor Camp is one of our most popular day camps. This five day camp is a balance of age appropriate, physical, and mental challenges for children ages eight to twelve. But don’t worry, it’s not all challenging, there are leisure activities so everyone can participate! The various activities will focus on team building, cooperation, and fair play. It is important to note that no one gets voted off our Survivor Camp! Activities will include mind-boggling contests, creative games, and clever challenges! On day one team names and flags will be created. Come OUTWIT, OUTPLAT, & OUTLAST your opponents. Contact Antigonish County Recreation for registration information or check out our Summer Preview or the Summer Newsletter!
  
• Rainbow Camp
  Rainbow Camp is a fun way for young children ages four to seven to get together, meet new friends, and to participate in numerous activities for five days. This camp features different learning centres which allow children to explore such areas as: crafts, stories, painting, cooking, science, puppets, computer, face painting, and much more. Contact Antigonish County Recreation for registration information or check out our Summer Preview or the Summer Newsletter!

Community Education Program     ..to the top..
The purpose of the Community Education Program is to enhance access to school facilities and increase recreational and educational opportunities to the public. We offer a variety of classes, workshops and activities for adults and youth that varies each season. All programs are described in our quarterly municipal newsletter distributed to all residents of Antigonish County and Town.
Adult Programs     ..to the top..
In the past our adult classes have included: woodworking, aerobics, computers, map and compass, crafts, gardening, gourmet cooking, bridge, conversational Dutch and French, etc. Programs are usually held in the evenings or on weekends. The length of the classes range from one to nine weeks depending on the program.
Youth Programs     ..to the top..
Youth programs include: Art for Kids and the Red Cross Babysitting Course. In 1999 we began offering a large assortment of March Break Workshops.

• Art for Kids     ..to the top..
  StFXU students (trained by professor Tara Callaghan) provide fun and informal art classes for young students, grades P-4, interested in art expression. Painting, drawing and other art activities are offered.
• Red Cross Babysitting Course   (Ages 11 & up)     ..to the top..
  The Babysitting Course is a 1 day program which is usually held on Saturdays during the school year and on weekdays in the summer. This course is designed by the Canadian Red Cross and covers such topics as the rights and responsibilities of the babysitter, family, kids and the babysitter's parents; skills for caring for babies, toddlers, pre-schoolers and school-age children; injury prevention; handling emergencies; first aid; personal safety and security.

In the winter, spring and fall, Antigonish County Recreation chooses 2 names to receive a $30.00 gift certificate. This voucher is suitable for redemption toward Antigonish County Recreation program fees. The names are chosen from Adult and Youth Community Education program registration forms received before the Early Bird deadline.

March Break Workshops     ..to the top..
Antigonish County recreation offers March Break Workshops for school-aged children. The workshops vary from year to year. The half-day and full-day classes are low-cost and range from drama, various crafts, music, dance to sports camp. For more information check our Spring Newsletter which is delivered to Antigonish County homes during late February or early March and is also available on this website. We are always looking for March Break instructors. If you have an idea for a workshop, please contact us.

Miscellaneous     ..to the top..
If you prefer to organize your own recreation opportunities, Antigonish County has plenty of resources and area to do so. Some examples are:

• Community Parks: Cape George Day Park, Linwood Community Picnic Area.
• Beaches: There are a number of public beaches in Antigonish County:
  Supervised Beaches: Pomquet Beach, Bayfield Beach
  Unsupervised Beaches: Mahoney's Beach, Cribbons Beach, Ballantyne's Cove, Livingstone's Cove, Malignant Cove, Arisaig Beach, Dunn's Beach and Cape Jack Beach.
• Ball Fields: Antigonish County has a wealth of ball fields. Some of the ballparks, which feature lights for night games, include in St. Andrews, Pomquet and Lower South River.
• Curling Rinks: Highlander Curling Club located in St. Andrews.
• Indoor Skating Rinks: Antigonish Arena (Building for Youth), Charles V. Keating Millennium Centre, both located in Antigonish.
• Outdoor Skating Rinks: A number of outdoor skating rinks provide enjoyment for young and old during the winter months. A few of the outdoor skating rinks in the County include: Heatherton, Cape Jack and Mattie Settlement.
• Community Halls: Some communities with halls include St. Joseph's, Arisaig, Pomquet, Heatherton, St. Andrews, Tracadie and Havre Boucher.
• Soccer Fields: Soccer fields exist at the Saint Andrew Junior School on Highland Drive Extension.
• Golf Courses: Antigonish Golf and Country Club, Fiddlers Green Executive Golf Course.

Other Recreation Opportunities     ..to the top..
Antigonish is fortunate to have a number of community groups and organizations who develop and implement a wide variety of recreation and sports programs within the community. The majority of these groups are composed primarily of volunteers who, through hard work and dedication, provide high quality programs and services. Examples of some of these include Minor Hockey, Minor Soccer, Minor Basketball, Minor Softball and Minor Football programs, gymnastics, skateboarding, swimming, Girl Guides, Scouting, Archery and 4-H Clubs, dance, skating, theatre, snowmobile and ATV groups, track and field, hiking, biking, trails and much more.

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We welcome your suggestions!

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