Only 2 of Calgary's 8 outdoor pools will open this summer

COVID-19 restrictions mean only two of Calgary's outdoor pools will be opening this summer — Silver Springs and Highwood — and both will be operating with limited capacity.

The Calgary Outdoor Swimming Pool Association's Jenny Jensen says the public can expect a few changes.

For example, the crowds — The Lifesaving Society has a guideline of seven square metres per person in a pool, Jensen said.

"Normally we could have 200 to 300 people in a pool and on a deck area, where now we would be down to maybe 60 people in that same area," Jensen said.

There will be no public change rooms, but bathrooms will be open. The front desk will also keep track of pool guests for contact tracing purposes, which means longer lineups and additional staff.

Jensen said it was a tough decision but that keeping the other pools closed will help the association save some money this year.

"I'd love to open them all and provide it to everyone," Jensen said. "It's just, some is better than nothing I guess."

Mounting costs

Jensen said costs were mounting. With extra staff needed to clean and the limited number of paying customers allowed in the pools, only Highwood and Silver Springs felt they could afford to open.

"The two communities understand where they're at, and what kind of losses they may take," Jensen said. "They also have availability to grants that our contractor doesn't have. So there are some differences there."

Each pool is unique, Jensen said, and for most of them the "dollars and cents" just don't add up. She used the example of Bowview, which is run by the community of Hillhurst-Sunnyside.

"Bowview decided that they just couldn't take the loss this year. With having the community association closed, they've lost a lot of revenue in that alone."

A date has not yet been set, but the pools are expected to open sometime in July.

Other pools that will be closed for pandemic-related financial reasons include:

• Millican Ogden Outdoor Swimming Pool 
• Forest Lawn Outdoor Swimming Pool 
• Stanley Park Outdoor Swimming Pool 
• Mount Pleasant Outdoor Swimming Pool
• Bowview Outdoor Swimming Pool

The South Calgary Outdoor Swimming Pool will be closed for renovations, according to The Calgary Outdoor Swimming Pools Association website.

It's still not clear whether swimming lessons or summer camps will be available at the two pools that are opening. Jensen said the Lifesaving Society is not recommending swimming lessons for young children.

"It's made it really hard with the two-metre distancing — a swim instructor can't touch the children, so you have to work on what kind of skills you're going to teach and how you're going to do it," Jensen said. "There's a whole bunch of things that come into play on how and what can be offered."

Speaking outside the Stanley Park Outdoor Swimming Pool, Calgarian Erin Flory said she can't wait to see the pools open — especially the outdoor ones.

"I'm a swimmer, I'm a mom of a swimmer, and she's desperate to get back in the water, as am I," she said.

"I'd love to see them open, get some of these kids back in the water, get myself back in the water, triathletes — there are lots of people who would love to get back into the water."

Flory said her 14-year-old daughter is in a swim club. With the prospect of pools staying closed in Calgary, the family has decided to head to Manitoba for more access to open lake swimming this summer.

Flory said some kids look forward to swimming only during the summer months, as most outdoor swimming pools are more accessible.

"If they don't open the outdoor stuff this summer, I think there's some understanding. I would be very sad if it resulted in [the pools never opening] again," she said.

"Some of the indoor facilities are expensive. This is an opportunity for a more equal footing for all, [regardless of] socio-economic status, to get in the water at some point in the year."

The Calgary Outdoor Swimming Pool Association manages eight outdoor pools in Calgary.

Jensen said she hopes this year's closures will be temporary.

"To be able to preserve the future years, that would be why we would not open them this year," she said. "We save as well by doing that, which we'll put toward next year, and we'll just cross our fingers that next year is much better."