Raynald Hawkins has albums filled with keepsakes from his lifesaving career. One of the accomplishments he’s most proud of is his Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) Diploma. It’s one of the oldest and most prestigious international awards. According to the RLSS, it’s given to people or groups that have added to collective knowledge in ways that can save lives and prevent drownings. The 67-year-old says he gets a similar sense of satisfaction watching the number of drownings decrease every year. He says it’s not “mission accomplished” but close. “40 years ago, we had 200 drowning situations per year in Quebec province, and now the average is 60,” he told CTV News. Hawkins is celebrating 40 years working for the Lifesaving Society’s Quebec branch. His career really started years earlier, in a lifeguard chair on the beaches of Sainte-Agathe at 15-years-old. “I was a hockey player like every boy, but when I found the swimming pool and I saw those swimmers on the swim team, I said, why not?” He continued to work part-time for the city when he went to school. Hawkins earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from UQAM before joining the Lifesaving Society. “When they opened the position for program director, technical director, I say, why not? So, and I moved to Montreal.” In 1986, he became the technical director at the Lifesaving Society and 4 years later, he became the executive director. “I’m a teacher first,” said Hawkins. “For me, this is the opportunity I have to teach and try to change your behaviour about water and have fun with water, but we also say you need to follow aquatics and boating safety tips all the time.” Over the past four decades, he says his main mission has been to prevent drownings. He is the Lifesaving Society’s French spokesperson for Canada and main spokesperson in Quebec. Hawkins estimates he does over 100 interviews a year. He will never say no to media, even on the weekend, because he says it’s what he can do to help save lives. He admits, however, there can be hard days. “I’m a grandfather, and I can tell you when it is a toddler, I have some emotion(s),” he said, especially because he sees her on those cases. Hawkins is still a certified lifeguard and has dozens of certificates. “That’s why I swim like two or three times a week, and I maintain my physical activities, my active living, by running, by cycling… it’s very important for me.” He’s starting to look forward to some new memories. Retirement is on the horizon, which he says will include swimming and spending more time with his granddaughter.
