Indoor pools in Vancouver to begin reopening next month

Hillcrest Community Centre. (Google Maps)

Vancouver — Swimming enthusiasts will soon have more options in Vancouver, as indoor pools will begin reopening next month.

Pools first closed in March due to the spread of COVID-19. While some outdoor pools and splash parks began reopening in July, indoor pools were kept shut.

On Friday, the city's park board announced that some pools will aim to open by Sept. 14, including those at Hillcrest, Kerrisdale and Britannia community centres, and at the Vancouver Aquatic Centre. However, that timeline may need to be adjusted based on operational requirements, the park board says.

Then, by Oct. 13, Killarney, Templeton, Lord Byng and Renfrew community centres will all reopen their pools.

The Kensington pool will not reopen this fall, however, because it's too small to allow for safe physical distancing, the park board says.

"The reopening of our indoor pools marks a huge milestone for the park board's pandemic recovery plan," said Camil Dumont, chair of the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, in a news 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."

Dumont says the park board is unable to open all eight pools at once because of the strain on facilities and maintenance, calling it a "huge operational lift."

Swimmers will be able to make reservations online or drop-in in person. Facilities will be sanitized between swim periods and capacity will be reduced.

Lanes will also be wider, snorkels won't be permitted and gear won't be available for rent.

While showers, changes rooms and lockers will be available, there will be a limited capacity in those areas.