‘Poisoned in a pool’: Children fall ill in Canmore, Alta., hotel pool

It was supposed to be a fun weekend away in Canmore for some young hockey players and their parents. Then, they fell ill at a hotel pool.

Parents of an Alberta minor hockey team are looking for answers after dozens of children fell ill while swimming at a Canmore hotel pool on the weekend.

On Jan. 25, Melissa Erle was staying at the Canmore Inn and Suites, located at 1402 Bow Valley Tr., with her husband and her three children.

She told CTV News on Monday her husband had taken two of the kids to the pool for a swim before their tournament, but she stayed behind with the other to have breakfast.

Around 10:30 a.m., when she went to meet her husband, she found out something was wrong.

“I was just getting to the pool when two kids came out, and they looked like they had taken in a bunch of water. So, I was checking on them, and then everyone just started running out of the pool,” Erle said.

She said she began panicking but couldn’t get into the pool area to get to her husband and her other kids.

“All these kids come running out, and they’re puking everywhere,” she said.

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Government health officials told CTV News on Monday that paramedics responded to the hotel at 11 a.m. after a group of children had suddenly fallen ill.

Officials say staff were originally prepared for multiple EMS transports, but once the scene was assessed, they determined that would not be required.

“Nine stable and non-life-threatening patients were assessed at the scene by (Emergency Health Services) paramedics and received instruction to present to the Canmore General Hospital (in the immediate vicinity of the scene) in care of their parents or guardians. One patient was transported by ambulance to Canmore General Hospital in serious, but stable condition,” EHS said in a statement.

Eleven youth were assessed at the hospital, EHS said, with one taken to the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary in serious but stable condition.

Chlorine gas found in pool area: officials

Canmore Fire Rescue also responded to the hotel and determined the issue was a chemical exposure.

Their first priority was to make sure everyone got out of the area safely before they began an investigation.

“Initial air monitoring detected an elevated level of a hazardous substance, which was suspected to be chlorine-based on the location and symptoms exhibited by the patients,” officials said in a statement.

“The arriving crew was able to identify and isolate the incident to the pool and to a mechanical room.”

Crews then deployed fans to clear the pool’s mechanical room and ventilate the facility.

‘Their throats hurt’

When the fire department and EMS arrived at the hotel, Erle said paramedics began assessing everyone affected in the pool.

“One girl ended up getting oxygen at the hotel. My kids were begging to go. They had chest pain and they had a pain in their back and their throats hurt,” she said.

“And my husband had told me that when he was in the pool, he got a really strong smell of what he thought was chlorine.”

During the ordeal, Erle said front desk staff didn’t know what was going on.

“I’m very upset. I am very nervous of pools to begin with, but I just thought I had to worry about drowning,” she said. “I didn’t think that they were going to be poisoned in a pool.”

The family’s hospital discharge papers say the poisoning was caused by cyanide.

Cyanuric acid, which is a different compound, is sometimes used in pools as a chlorine buffer.

The Canmore Inn and Suites says there is no evidence to support claims of the presence of cyanide in the pool.

“Our pool systems are professionally operated and monitored by a licensed chemical management company, which is investigating the incident. We have received guidance from Alberta Health, and ongoing testing and assessments have not identified any indication of deliberate contamination,” the hotel said in a release.

On X, Premier Danielle Smith wrote, “My heart goes out to the children who became seriously ill at a Canmore hotel pool and to their families, who must be incredibly worried right now. I am thinking of them and hoping for their full recovery.”

“I want to extend my sincere gratitude to the paramedics, firefighters, hospital staff and all first responders who rushed these kids to safety and provided urgent care,” she said.

“I am certain we will learn more about what caused this incident in the coming days.”