Canada's Lifesaving Society 1908-2008 Stamp

The wildly popular American television show, Baywatch, brought life guarding and life saving techniques into the mainstream. But lifeguarding is far more than beautiful tans and buffed bodies.

Canada is celebrating the centennial mark of Canada’s Lifesaving Society by issuing a new domestic rate postage stamp. Canada’s Lifesaving Society trains more than 500,000 young people to be lifeguards each year. This new postage stamp shows scenes of lifeguards in action.

Drowning is one of the most common causes of accidental death in Canada and the United States. Most deaths are preventable and occur by non-swimmers when no lifeguard is present.

Canada’s Lifesaving Society’s primary goal is to increase public awareness about water safety and prevent drowning and water related injuries. This new stamp recognizes the importance of lifeguards and was released during the National Drowning Awareness Week.

There are three pictures on this stamp. The woman in the foreground represents all of the Canadians trained in Lifesaving Society programs each year. There are two action photos as well. One is of a lifeguard plunging into open water to make a rescue and the other is of a lifeguard performing CPR on an accident victim.