SWAM Canada


Swimming With A Mission Canada, previously SwimAbility Canada and Making Waves Canada, is a Canadian not-for-profit organization that improves the lives of children with disabilities through private, low-cost and adapted swimming and water safety instruction. It is the largest student-run not-for-profit organization in Canada.

Scope of activities

The organization's mandate is to provide services to children left behind by typical swimming lesson organizations. Programming is provided via SwimAbility chapter intermediaries which have their own management committees. Since 2009, the organization has established itself in cities across the country and now offers over 9000 lessons per year. SwimAbility Canada partners with NGOs around the world, sending trained instructors to develop swimming curricula and to increase awareness of and support for persons with disabilities. The second Annual General Meeting was held on June 22, 2014 at the University of Toronto.

Affiliated chapters

SwimAbility Canada currently oversees the following 15 chapters:
British Columbia
Weekly swimming lessons are held on Saturdays at the Parkinson Recreation Centre, and on Sundays at the Johnson Bentley Memorial Aquatic Centre, located in Kelowna. The cost per child is $25 per season.
Manitoba
Weekly swimming lessons are held at Seven Oaks and/or the Margaret Grant Pool in Winnipeg. The cost per child is $20 per season.
Ontario
Weekly swimming lessons are held at the swimming pool of Western Student Recreation Facility, located on the University of Western Ontario campus in London, Ontario. The cost per child is $30 per season.
Weekly swimming lessons are held at the Physical Activities Complex on the University of Waterloo's campus in Waterloo.
Weekly swimming lessons are held at the swimming pool of Hamilton Downtown Family YMCA Pool, located in Hamilton, Ontario. The cost per child is $25 per season for 30 minute lessons or $50 per season for one hour lessons.
Weekly swimming lessons are held at the Cawthra Park Pool in Mississauga. The cost per child is $35 per season.
Weekly swimming lessons are held at the Beverley School Pool in Toronto, Ontario. The cost per child is $40 per season.
Weekly swimming lessons are held at the Queen's Athletics and Recreation Centre in Kingston. The cost per child is $25 per season.
Weekly swimming lessons are held at the swimming pool of Jack Purcell Community Centre Pool and/or Lowertown Community Centre Pool, located in Downtown Ottawa, Ontario. The cost per child is $25 per season.
Weekly swimming lessons are held at the Jeno Tihanyi Olympic Gold Pool, located on the Laurentian University campus. The cost per child is $15–25 per season.
Quebec
SwimAbility classes are held at the swimming pool of the CEGEP du Vieux-Montréal, which is located downtown Montreal, Quebec. The cost per child is $20 per season.
In 2009, SwimAbility Montreal won the 2009 Forces Avenir Award for work towards Mutual Aid, Peace and Justice in Quebec.
New Brunswick
Weekly swimming lessons are held at the Canada Games Aquatic Centre in Saint John, New Brunswick. The cost per child is $20 per season.
Nova Scotia
Weekly swimming lessons are held at the Centennial Pool in downtown Halifax. The cost per child is $20 per season.
Windsor
Weekly swimming lessons are held at the YMCA Aquatic Centre in Windsor, Ontario. The cost for one child is $20 per season.