Beginning next month, swimmers will once again be able to dive into an indoor pool in Vancouver.
The Vancouver Park Board announced Friday that it is working to open eight of its nine indoor pools across the city this fall, with a few new health and safety protocols in place.
The pools' reopenings are set to follow a phased approach, with four opening in September, and four more the following month. The Park Board said work is underway to reopen Hillcrest, Kerrisdale, Britannia and the Vancouver Aquatic Centre pools by a targeted date of Sept. 14, while Killarney, Templeton, Lord Byng, and Renfrew are anticipated to reopen Oct. 13. "Kensington pool will not reopen this fall due to its size, which is too small to safely accommodate the physical distancing required for aquatic use during the pandemic," read the release.
The Park Board warns that timelines are subject to operational and maintenance requirements, and may need to be adjusted slightly.
“The reopening of our indoor pools marks a huge milestone for the Park Board’s pandemic recovery plan,” said Camil Dumont, Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation chair, in the release.
“We know just how much public demand there is for access to our pools and our staff have done an exceptional job of planning for the safe resumption of swimming in the city. While it would be amazing to be able to open all eight pools at once, it’s not possible from a facilities and maintenance perspective, as it’s a huge operational lift.”
All indoor pools were shut down in mid-March in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, while four of the city's outdoor pools opened to swimmers in July - following a two-month delay - with enhanced COVID-19 regulations in place.
When indoor pools reopen this fall, regular visitors will notice new, wider lanes for length swimming, as well as directional signage throughout the sites. New procedures will be implemented for accessing change rooms, pool decks, and pool entry and exit areas, the Park Board explained.
Rentals of swimming goggles, towels or kickboards will not be available, while snorkels will not be permitted.
Showers, change rooms and lockers will be available, but patrons will need to adhere to limits on the number of people who can visit the change rooms at a time. There will also be a buffer between swim periods that pool staff will use to sanitize and prepare facilities for the next group. The pools are also reopening with reduced maximum capacities to help support physical distancing, while lifeguards will be required to wear personal protective equipment while on duty.
Designated lap and public swimming sessions will be available upon pools' reopening, as will reserved training sessions for sport organizations. The Park Board will manage admission through an online reservation system, in addition to in-person drop-ins. Leisure Access Program passes will also be accepted.
