City opening 10 outdoor pools in Toronto this weekend, launching new online booking system

TORONTO — It is going to feel a lot more like summer in the city this weekend with the reopening of patios and 10 city-run outdoor pools.

Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday afternoon, Mayor John Tory announced that this weekend, the city will be opening 10 outdoor swimming pools weeks ahead of schedule.

The move comes as Ontario prepares to reopen parts of the economy, including patios and non-essential retail, on Friday following a months-long provincewide lockdown due to the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Ordinarily none of them (outdoor pools) would be opening up until towards the end of the month," Tory said.

"I'm so glad that we can safely open some of the city's outdoor pools, wading pools, and splash pads for everyone to enjoy."

The 10 pools, which include the Sunnyside Gus Ryder facility, will open on Saturday, Tory said, and the remaining outdoor pools will reopen for the season on June 19.

Starting this year, the city will also offer swimmers the option to book a 45-minute time slot through an online reservation system. Reservations can be made starting Thursday and new time slots will be released every Thursday throughout the summer.

Some spaces will be reserved at pools on a first-come, first served basis for those who don't have easy access to a computer.

Capacity at all outdoor pools will be reduced to 25 per cent to allow for adequate physical distancing.

"Staff have worked closely with Toronto Public Health to make sure there are guidelines in place to ensure that people can swim safely at all of Toronto's pools," Tory said.

Outdoor pools will close for the season after the Labour Day weekend.

Here is a list of the 10 outdoor pools that will open on June 12:

Alex Duff – 779 Crawford St.

Monarch Park Pool – 115 Felstead Ave.

Heron Park CC – 292 Manse Rd.

Grandravine CC – 23 Grandravine Dr.

McGregor CC – 2231 Lawrence Ave. E.

Parkway Forest CC – 59 Forest Manor Rd.

Pine Point – 15 Grierson Rd.

Riverdale Park – 550 Broadview Ave.

Sunnyside-Gus Ryder – 1755 Lake Shore Blvd. W.

West Mall – 380 The West Mall