Vancouver's Kitsilano Pool to reopen with capacity limits after storm repairs
Pool cannot open with full capacity because there aren't enough staff, park board says
After weeks of repairs, Vancouver's Kitsilano Pool is set to reopen to a limited number of swimmers this weekend.
The city's park board said Tuesday the pool will partially open for public swimming on Saturday, months after the site was damaged during a severe winter storm in January.
"As the weather has stayed consistently dry [over the past month], necessary maintenance and repairs were able to take place," read a statement from the board.
There will only be a limited number of swimmers allowed into the pool over the long weekend. After the weekend, starting Tuesday, workers will decide daily how many swimmers to allow into the pool based on staff availability.
The statement said the city does not have enough staff to fully open the pool with the right visitor-to-lifeguard ratio.
"Not unlike other municipalities in the Lower Mainland, Vancouver is experiencing a staffing shortage ... Although Kits Pool may appear to have space for those waiting in line, capacity for pools is not based on the size of the facility itself," the statement read.
The board said there will be space for drop-ins at the pool, but spaces are not guaranteed. Reservations open online three days ahead at noon.
The pool was significantly damaged by a king tide and storm surge during a severe winter storm on Jan. 7.
At the time, the board said water came up onto the seawall and into Kitsilano Pool. At one point, the Kitsilano Showboat community stage was surrounded by water.
Cracks were found on the bottom of the pool tank. The board said people swimming in the newly reopened pool might see dark marks on the floor that look like dirt, but are actually patches from sealant used to temporarily fill the cracks.
FROM THE ARCHIVES | The Vancouver Park Board renovated Kitsilano Pool in 1976:
