Vancouver's outdoor pools open Saturday
A new ranger station will also open on May 18
Some of Vancouver's outdoor pools will be open to the public starting Saturday, May 18 — and two of them will have free Wi-Fi.
The outdoor pools include:
- Second Beach Pool, Stanley Park, which closes after the Labour Day weekend.
- The outdoor pool at the Hillcrest Aquatic Centre, which closes Sept. 3.
- Kitsilano Pool, which will close on Sept. 15.
- New Brighton Pool, which will close on Sept. 15.
Maple Grove Pool opens June 15 and will close Sept. 3.
Kitsilano and Second Beach pools now have free Wi-Fi, as part of the city's policy to expand public access to free internet access.
Thirteen concession stands in Vancouver's park will also open this weekend. The stands will offer traditional fare like fish and chips, hot dogs and burgers, along with special feature items like Beyond Meat plant-based burgers, ramen noodles and vegetarian curries.
The concession stands are following the city's singe-use item reduction strategy, which means paper straws are available upon request, offering cup discounts to people with their own travel mug and switching to wooden cutlery.
The park board also announced the opening of a ranger station in Stanley Park that will be open seven days a week. It will act as a command centre for rangers at the park.
Although staff at the station will be on hand to explain fire safety — including smoking bylaws (all beaches and parks are smoke-free) and proper barbeque use, rangers also monitor play fields, find missing persons and help with first aid.