Surrey, B.C., pools open for summer season, and lessons are already in high demand

Surrey's outdoor pools are open for the season, and more Metro Vancouver municipalities are expected to follow suit in the coming days.

Surrey's Bear Creek Pool, Greenaway Pool in Cloverdale, and Sunnyside Pool in South Surrey are open, with the municipality's remaining outdoor pools expected to open over the next month.

All of the city's outdoor pools are free for the 2025 season.

"A free opportunity for a public swim is great for our community; it reduces any sort of barriers financially it might have on anybody, and it allows people to swim in a safe setting," said Mannie Deo, Newton Recreation's operations manager.

Port Coquitlam's Centennial Outdoor Pool is also open and free. Weekend public swims at Burnaby's Central Park outdoor pool have been on since April 28.

In Vancouver, the Second Beach outdoor pool is expected to open over the Victoria Day long weekend. The city says it also hopes to have Kitsilano Pool open in mid-June, but notes it's at its end-of-life phase and is still in need of ongoing maintenance and repairs.

Richmond's Steveston outdoor pool also opens May 17.

Oudoor pools in Coquitlam, Port Moody and New Westminster open in June.

Swimming lessons in high demand

The Lifesaving Society B.C. & Yukon branch, which provides certified swimming lessons in communities throughout the province, says registrations vary by community, and they're already seeing high demand ahead of the 2025 summer season.

"There is quite a competition to get into swimming lessons in any of the cities, not just the city of Surrey," said program and services director Kimiko Hirakida. "We do encourage people to sign up for the level that's appropriate for them."

Swim lessons in Metro Vancouver have been hard to come by in recent years, with some families turning to private pools to secure their spot.

This year, Burnaby launched a pilot project to provide dozens of kids with free swim lessons.

Hirakida says lessons are open for kids over the age of four months, teens, and adults of all ages.

Provincial drowning numbers up

The increase in demand comes amid an increase in provincial drownings. The most recent numbers released by the B.C. Coroners Service show that 101 people drowned in B.C. in 2023, up from 86 in 2022 and 80 in 2021.

Figures from 2024 are expected to be released in June.

Hirakida says the vast majority of deaths occur from May through the end of August in unsupervised, open water like oceans, rivers and lakes.

"Swim with a buddy, wear bright colours, and know your ability," says Hirakida. "Just because I'm a competent swimmer in a pool ... it doesn't translate directly to being safe in open water."