News Release
July 28, 2022

This upcoming long weekend, Toronto residents can enjoy 55 outdoor pools across the city, including the Donald D. Summerville leisure pool and dive tank, which will reopen tomorrow, Friday, July 29. Critical repairs to the dive tank and 25-metre leisure pool are complete and leisure swim will resume tomorrow.

Amesbury Sports Complex will also reopen for leisure and lane swim on Tuesday, August 2. Repairs to the Riverdale Park East pool will see it reopen on Thursday, August 4 for both leisure and lane swim, with swim lessons starting on Monday, August 8. While preparing to open these pools in June, staff uncovered damaged liners and other mechanical issues requiring urgent repair work, before the pools could safely open to the public.

To ensure Torontonians can make the most of the reopened facilities, the City of Toronto is extending the swimming season for the Donald D. Summerville pool, Riverdale Park East pool and Amesbury Sports Complex until Sunday, September 11. Other outdoor pools are currently scheduled to close for the season on Sunday, September 4 and Monday, September 5.

City swimming beaches, splash pads and wading pools across Toronto will be open on holiday Monday and throughout the holiday weekend. Indoor pools and community centres will be closed on the August 1 civic holiday. The closures are a standard occurrence on all statutory holidays. More information is available here.

The City began opening its outdoor pools on June 18 and all remaining pools opened as of June 30, except for those requiring repairs. All available outdoor pools are now open daily until the end of Labour Day, September 4. Some pools have extended hours during heat alerts. Residents visiting City outdoor pools are reminded that:

  • Supervision and/or swimming ability requirements are in place for children under 10 years of age at all City outdoor pools.
  • Outdoor leisure swimming is free for all ages and reservations are not required.
  • Outdoor lane swim is free and open to swimmers aged seven years and older for swimming continuous lengths or widths.
  • Caregivers should supervise children at all times.
  • Pool visitors should listen to the on-duty lifeguards.

Reservations are available for lane swim and Aquafit only. New reservation spots are released Thursday mornings at 8 a.m. for the following Monday to Sunday.

More information is available on the City’s Pool Closures & Service Alerts webpage.

Media requests to film outdoor pools can be accommodated at the following locations until Labour Day:

  • Alex Duff Memorial Outdoor Pool, 779 Crawford St.
  • McGregor Park Outdoor Pool, 2231 Lawrence Ave. E.
  • Monarch Park Outdoor Pool, 115 Felstead Ave.
  • Sunnyside Gus Ryder Outdoor Pool, 1755 Lake Shore Blvd. W.

These designated locations will allow media to film from the pool deck without the need to call in advance. Media access will be allowed at these locations only and media must follow the instructions of staff at the site.

Quotes:

“I want every outdoor pool open all summer long for families to enjoy and it’s great to see 55 outdoor pools open this weekend. I want to thank staff for working to repair and reopen these three outdoor pools as quickly as possible so that residents have even more outdoor swimming options for the remainder of the summer.”
– Mayor John Tory

“Keeping our facilities in good repair is important so that the City can continue to offer a variety of free and affordable recreation options for residents throughout the year.”

– Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson (Scarborough Centre), Chair of the Economic and Community Development Committee

“From outdoor pools to beaches to wading pools and splash pads, the City has a multitude of outdoor water play options for residents of all ages across Toronto. Thank you to City staff for your diligence and effort in getting these pools reopened.”
– Councillor Jennifer McKelvie (Scarborough-Rouge Park), Chair of the Infrastructure and Environment Committee

Toronto is home to more than 2.9 million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit the City’s website or follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

Media contact: Media Relations, media@toronto.ca