To help Torontonians keep cool, the City of Toronto is temporarily extending pool hours at seven outdoor pools. The decision to extend pool hours considered the Heat Warning issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada yesterday afternoon. This is the first time this summer that pool hours have been extended.
The following seven outdoor pools will be open, weather permitting, until 11:45 p.m. tonight and may continue to operate with extended hours until the Heat Warning is cancelled:
• Alex Duff Pool, 779 Crawford St.
• Giovanni Caboto Pool, 1369 St. Clair Ave. W.
• McGregor Park, 2231 Lawrence Ave. E.
• Monarch Park, 115 Felstead Ave.
• Parkway Forest, 55 Forest Manor Rd.
• Smithfield Park, 175 Mount Olive Dr.
• Sunnyside Park/Gus Ryder Pool, 1755 Lake Shore Blvd. W.
During the extended evening hours, from 8 to 11:45 p.m., pool access will be walk-in only and online reservations will not be available. In order to allow for physical distancing due to COVID-19, the capacity at outdoor pools remains reduced.
Staff have worked closely with Toronto Public Health (TPH) to meet guidelines to ensure people can swim safely at outdoor pools. When patrons visit the City’s outdoor pools they will be required to sign-in, provide their first name and an email or phone number to facilitate contact tracing, should it be required. Leisure swims will continue to be prioritized to ensure as many swimmers as possible have the opportunity to cool off. Swimmers will be limited to 45-minute sessions to allow for cleaning.
Residents with a disability or who require an accommodation will be eligible to reserve a swim spot during extended outdoor pool hours by calling or emailing the Adapted and Inclusive Services Hotline at 416-395-6128 or aiscw@toronto.ca between noon and 8 p.m.
Media requests for filming at pools can be accommodated at Alex Duff, Monarch Park and Sunnyside Park/Gus Ryder, and McGregor outdoor pools only. These locations will allow media to film from the pool deck. Media can go directly to the site. Although they do not need to call in advance, they must follow the instructions of staff at the site.
More information about Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Heat Warnings is available at weather.gc.ca/warnings/.
A Heat Warning does not automatically result in extended pool hours. Decisions to extend pool hours are made daily while a Heat Warning is in place, based on weather risks and resource availability. Up-to-date information on extended pool hours, pool locations and regular operating hours is available by calling 311 or visiting www.toronto.ca/swim.
SOURCE: City of Toronto
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