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Technical Corner

Working in Recreation Fun Facts

September 11, 2026

The ORFA is often asked what is required to work in an Ontario ice rink. Incidents that are in the news often highlight these gaps. Consider the following information.

Pathway to becoming a school bus driver. Class C Diesel bus costs $90-$130,000 - seating 72-90 children

Ontario has four different licence types for bus drivers. Each licence class is different, but they all require a written test and a road test. Drivers may also need to take a government-approved course. More: Get a bus driver’s licence | ontario.ca

Pathway to becoming a qualified lifeguard. Once gained, may guard a maximum of 60 swimmers.

Requires a candidate to obtain a Bronze Medallion, Bronze Cross, Standard First Aid with CPR-C, National Lifeguard (NL)

More: Lifesaving Society website

Pathway to driving a snowplow. Cost of a commercial snowplow $200,000+

Requires a candidate to obtain the correct licence. Class G – covers small pickup trucks with plows used on private property. Class DZ – required for most municipal and highway plow trucks with air brakes. Class AZ – sometimes needed for larger tractor-trailer style plows. Z Endorsement – mandatory for any plow truck with an air brake system. Complete recognized training. Gain appropriate training. Learn Ontario safety standards. More: Want to Drive a Snow Plow in Ontario? Follow This 5 Step Guide

Pathway to working in a recreation facility. Cost of a recreation facility $10-200+ million dollars. Hundreds to thousands of user visits daily are common.

Other than an industrial refrigeration license for plant rooms over 200-hp (most ice rinks in Ontario are under this threshold) or lifeguarding there are limited regulated certification requirements. Most ice rinks operators are provided with limited internal training and/or are self taught. Few hold any proof of formal training or accreditation to operate or manage these multi-million dollar assets. There are very limited post-secondary educational options in this field. ORFA offers industry leading education and accreditation to assist in filling the training and certification gap BUT they are not mandatory. Refer to: https://www.orfa.com/Professional-Designations Noting that recreation is primarily a self-governed industry directed by employers that are responsible to elected officials that are taxpayer cost sensitive.

    Comments and/or Questions may be directed to Terry Piche, CRFP, CIT and Director, Training, Research and Development, Ontario Recreation Facilities Association

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