About us
Water Babies has been inspiring a lifelong love of water for over 20 years
Since 2002, Water Babies has taught over half a million children the life skill of learning how to swim, helping little ones to build their water confidence both in and of the pool.
It’s now grown into the world’s largest baby swim school, today teaching more than 45,000 babies every year through a network of family businesses across the globe.
Water Babies has been in Canada since 2015, starting in Downtown Toronto and expanding from there to the Greater Toronto area and out towards the East and West Coasts. We proudly deliver Water Babies magic with Canadian flair, helping over 20 000 Canadian families learn to be safe, develop life skills and spend quality time together. Water Babies Canada has won numerous consumer awards including:
- We were the highest-ranking swim school franchise in the Elite Franchise list of Canada’s Top 100 franchises in 2025.
- We have won the Toronto Star’s People’s Choice Awards, bringing home Diamond and Platinum Awards in the category of Swim Instruction in consecutive years for 2023 and 2024.
- We are longstanding members of the Canadian Franchise Association and the Canadian Swim School Alliance.
Our awards
Water Babies Family
None of this would have been possible without the passion, dedication, energy and truly special people who make up the business. From teachers in the pool, to franchisees, administrators & head office staff in Canada and in the UK, the list is endless for how many people contribute to helping families teach their children to swim. Every person is unique, and their dedication to delivering a premium customer experience to all is second to none.
There are over 1000 Water Babies employees around the world, who are all passionate about what they do and the important work we do for families. We want to create an eco-system of opportunities for everyone in the Water Babies family to ensure they all succeed.
Our Story So Far
22 years ago
Paul Thompson is the Founder of Water Babies. His dedication to helping give children the best start in life began with a choice. Continue a successful (but rather boring) life as a chartered surveyor, or follow his true passion. To break free from the mundane and do something he really loved.
He wanted to teach. He had a dream of becoming an underwater diving instructor. So much so, after a particularly mind-numbing meeting at work, he knew what he had to do. He quit his job the next day, and quickly set about moving his family with wife, Jess and their baby daughter to the Caribbean to start a new life.
Everything was going swimmingly until an out of season hurricane destroyed the village they were living in. Luckily, no-one was hurt, but it forced them to move back to the UK.
The idea
Paul spent the next few years devoting his time to his daughter as a stay-at-home dad. He took her to every group activity around as he soon realized the importance of structuring the day with fun, interesting and educational things to do.
One of these activities was a baby swimming lesson. And it clicked. His passion for the water combined with the love for his daughter led to such as incredible experience, he knew he wanted to share it with every parent and child across the world.
In 2002, Water Babies was born. Small, makeshift, huddled around a kitchen table with a phone, Paul and Jess created their lessons and started signing people up. Within a month they had 100 customers. Shortly after, Water Babies started spreading throughout the UK.
Coming to Canada
We crossed the Atlantic Ocean when Shawn Goldmintz decided to hang up his suit and briefcase and give up his former life as a corporate lawyer to dive into the pool and help families across Canada, starting in Toronto. Joined at head office by another corporate escapee (this time a Chartered Accountant), Sarah Sundin, also a successful female entrepreneur and educator. Together, Sarah and Shawn are growing Water Babies from Victoria to St. John’s.
Thinking back to our very first pool in the basement of Kensington Community School through to celebrating our 10 year Canadian anniversary, our Canadian family has grown up together one baby step at a time. Our Canadian franchises are proud to have set down roots everywhere we swim, getting involved in local parenting community networks and spreading the love.
Water Babies Canada now has swimmers across 10 franchise territories in 3 provinces with more on the way!
We are dedicated to teaching the youngest Canadians all across the country how to stay safe, healthy and happy, one family at a time.
Our Values
Why Water Babies is one of a kind
- Customer first: We want your experience to be the best it can be – we’ll swim the extra mile
- We win, together: Honest, reliable, team players, collaborating with supportive solutions. We have each other’s backs because, when one thrives, we all rise
- We care: Our ‘thing’ is genuinely caring. Your little one is the most important thing in your world and in ours, too. You can trust that you’re in safe, caring hands
- Be the best, then better it: Always rooted in science, we put in the work to be the best, always learning, reflecting, improving, embracing new ideas. We evolve so our little swimmers can too.
- Life’s too short for dull: We fuel passion and create joyful spaces where where parents and little ones connect, bonding and discovering the love of water. Because childhood should feel like magic and learning should be fun.
Dive into confidence with our Tips, Insights, and Stories
Explore our treasure chest of information with expert advice, inspiring stories, and practical tips to support your baby’s swimming journey.
