Today, Mayor John Tory was joined by Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson (Scarborough Centre) at McGregor Park Community Centre Outdoor Pool in Scarborough to announce that the City’s 58 outdoor pools are expanding to full hours of operation and expanding capacity to 50 per cent. From June 30 to September 5, pools will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. for lane swim, and from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. for leisure swim. The City’s 91 wading pools are now also open along with the 140 splash pads opened earlier this month.
Following the Lifesaving Society’s updated guidance for aquatic facilities, maximum capacity for City pools can increase from 25 per cent to 50 per cent. This change will be implemented at approximately half of the City’s pools on Thursday, July 1, with implementation for the remaining pools by the end of the week. The increased capacity will provide additional flexibility for walk-in spaces.
City staff have worked with Toronto Public Health to meet guidelines to ensure people can swim safely at outdoor pools. Patrons visiting the City’s outdoor pools will be required to sign-in and provide their first name and an email or phone number to facilitate Toronto Public Health contact tracing should it be required.
Reservations for 45-minute leisure or lane swim sessions must be made in advance online. Blocks of new swim reservation spots are released Thursdays at 8 a.m. for the following Monday to Sunday. To ensure fairness, bookings are restricted to one per day, per person. A select number of spaces at each outdoor pool location will be held back to ensure swimming remains accessible to people with limited access to the Internet. These spaces are available on a first-come-first-serve basis.
As of this morning, more than 150,000 swim reservations have been completed and approximately 12,000 accounts have been created online since June 4.
Residents visiting City outdoor pools are reminded:
Media requests to film pools can be accommodated at the following locations:
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.
More information about swimming, outdoor pools, wading pools and splash pads in the City.
Quotes:
“I’m delighted to announce all City outdoor pools have expanded to full hours of operation just in time for the conclusion of the school year. With the expansion to 50 per cent capacity, more residents will now be able to safely enjoy their local outdoor pool in July. Summer is the perfect time for Toronto residents to take advantage of the City’s recreation amenities. Reserve your swim time online and visit a pool near you.”
– Mayor John Tory
“Outdoor pools offer Toronto residents a safe option to get outside and stay active. With these expanded hours, I encourage all residents to take reserve a leisure or lane swim at their local pool. It’s a perfect way to keep cool this summer.”
– Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson (Scarborough Centre) Economic and Community Development Committee Chair
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.