Swimming in Canada

A guide to how competitive swimming is organized in Canada -- from national governance to local clubs, and from age group swimming to the university level.

How It's Organized

Competitive swimming in Canada flows through a hierarchy of governing bodies, each responsible for different levels of the sport.

Swimming Canada

Swimming Canada is the national governing body. It sets rules, selects national teams, sanctions competitions, and oversees athlete development across the country.

Provincial Associations

12 provincial and territorial bodies (Swim Ontario, Swim BC, Swim Alberta, Swim Manitoba, Swim New Brunswick, Swim Newfoundland & Labrador, Swim Nova Scotia, Swim PEI, Federation de natation du Quebec, Swim Saskatchewan, Swim Yukon, Swim NWT) manage local competitions and development programs.

U Sports - University Swimming

U Sports is the national organization for university sport in Canada. Four conferences (OUA, Canada West, AUS, RSEQ) govern varsity swimming programs at Canadian universities.

Local Swim Clubs

Hundreds of clubs across Canada where swimmers train and compete from learn-to-swim through to national-level competition.

For Parents and New Coaches

How do I register my child for competitive swimming?

Registration happens through your provincial swimming association (e.g., Swim Ontario, Swim BC). You typically join a local swim club first, and the club handles registration with the provincial body. This gives your swimmer a Swimming Canada registration number, which is required to compete in sanctioned meets.

What is a sanctioned meet?

A sanctioned meet is a competition approved by Swimming Canada or a provincial association. Times swum at sanctioned meets are official and count toward rankings, qualifying standards, and records.

What are the age groups in competitive swimming?

Swimming Canada uses the following competitive age groups: 10 & Under (focused on skill development and fun), 11-12 (building technique and introducing competitive race strategy), 13-14 (increased training volume and specialization begins), 15-17 (junior level competition with provincial and national championship opportunities), and 18+ (senior competition, university swimming, and open national championships).

What is long course vs short course?

Short Course (SCM) uses 25-metre pools, typically from October to March. Long Course (LCM) uses Olympic-size 50-metre pools, typically from April to August. Long course is the format used at the Olympics and World Championships.