Following the Heat Warning issued by Environment Canada, the City has announced that extended pool hours are now in effect. This is the first time this summer that pool hours have been extended.
The following six 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.
• Earlscourt Park/Giovanni Caboto Pool, 1369 St. Clair Ave. W.
• 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.
McGregor Park pool is closed due to a mechanical issue today. Heron Park Outdoor Pool in Scarborough will remain open until 9 p.m. (dusk) this evening as it is not equipped with the lighting required to keep it open after dark.
In order to allow for physical distancing due to COVID-19, the capacity at outdoor pools is reduced to 25 per cent. This restricts the number of people that can be in the pool. Staff have worked closely with Toronto Public Health 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, providing their first name and an email or phone number to facilitate Toronto Public Health 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.
Media requests for filming at pools can be accommodated at Alex Duff, Monarch Park and Sunnyside Park/Gus Ryder outdoor pools only. These locations will allow media to film from the pool deck. Media can go directly to the site and do not need to call in advance, but must follow the instructions of staff at the site.
More information about Environment Canada’s Heat Warnings is available at https://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. For up-to-date information on extended pool hours, pool locations and regular operating hours, call 311 or visit http://www.toronto.ca/swim.
SOURCE: City of Toronto
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