Vancouver tweaks Kits Pool rules amid reservation debate

After a motion to scrap the hotly debated online booking system at Kitsilano Pool was shot down before discussion, the Vancouver Park Board is making tweaks for drop-in users at the city’s outdoor pools for the remainder of the summer.

Starting Aug. 5, drop in prices will be 50 per cent off during the final 45 minutes of swim sessions at Kitsilano Pool, Second Beach Pool, New Brighton Pool, and Maple Grove Pool.

The move aims to “provide better value for drop-in users who may arrive later in a session or have less flexibility in their schedules,” the park board said in a news release announcing the changes.

At Kitsilano Pool specifically, staff are slashing the half-hour break between sessions in the afternoon, switching the schedule from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. sessions to one 3 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. session.

“This adjustment offers flexibility for drop-in users to arrive at varying times while still enjoying a sufficient length swim session,” the park board wrote.

The reservation system that has been in place since the pandemic but has increasingly drawn criticism this summer, particularly from Mayor Ken Sim’s ABC Party, will remain in place – which means 80 per cent of spots are reserved for those who buy tickets online and 20 per cent for drop ins, but staff can adjust the ratio based on attendance.

“The park board’s reservation system allows users, especially those traveling from farther away, to plan their visits with confidence,” it argued in the news release. “With the exception of a few peak days, most drop-in swimmers were accommodated at all outdoor pool facilities. Timed swim sessions have also helped ensure safe, efficient access to pools across the city while reducing wait times.”

ABC has repeatedly called for the park board to do away with the reservation system, arguing people should be able to access the city’s pools spontaneously without having to fight for limited tickets.

Park Board chair Laura Christensen’s refusal to entertain a motion on ending advance booking drew particular ire from Sim, who released a statement saying the issues with attractions like the Kits Pool and the Stanley Park train lie with the Park Board itself which “continues to operate with limited accountability and with little regard for what residents are actually asking for.”

“We are paying the price with long wait times and limited to no access to Kits Pool because Premier David Eby is either unwilling or unable to follow through on his repeated commitment to transition the Park Board into City operations,” Sim wrote.

The statement prompted Park Board commissioner Tom Digby to declare the mayor “officially unhinged” on social media.

In response to the operational tweaks coming to the pools next week, ABC issued a statement claiming the park board was “surrendering to public outcry” and that it’s a “small step in the right direction” but again called for the board to scrap online reservations altogether.

“We hear from families, seniors and everyday pool users who feel shut out by a system that was meant to be temporary. Clinging to a broken model only frustrates the people we’re here to serve. It’s time to listen and we appreciate staff working in that direction,” said commissioner Marie-Claire Howard, in ABC’s release.

Most of Vancouver’s outdoor pools are open between Victoria Day and Labour Day, while the Kitsilano Pool will close in mid-September. The park board next meets on Sept. 15.