Vancouver’s outdoor pool season kicks off this weekend

If you’re in a summer mood and want to jump into a pool, Vancouver is about to open a couple of its biggest outdoor swimming pools.

The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation published a bulletin earlier today, announcing the “start of another season of outdoor water recreation,” as it prepares to open its outdoor pools and water parks, staff lifeguards on several beaches and allow adults 19+ to drink alcohol on a number of them.

On Saturday, May 16, two outdoor pools will open, and nine beaches will start being lifeguarded.

What’s opening this weekend?

The New Brighton and Second Beach outdoor pools are opening this weekend. While New Brighton has time for both length swims and public swims (7:30 to 9:30 a.m. daily), Second Beach only has public swims.

If you want to register for swim times on May 16, they open on Showpass on Wednesday, May 13, at noon. While the Park Board will allocate 25 per cent of spaces for drop-ins, they recommend users reserve online in advance.

“Admission is not always guaranteed depending on demand,” the Park Board wrote.

Lifeguards will also start supervising the designated swimming areas at nine Vancouver beaches: Spanish Banks West, Spanish Banks East, Jericho, Locarno, Kitsilano, Sunset, English Bay, Second, and Third.

Lifeguards will supervise areas (marked by red and yellow flags) from noon to 8 p.m. every day until Sept. 7. However, these hours will change later in the summer season when days become shorter.

Spray parks are also opening this weekend and will run until Sept. 30. You can visit them between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. daily (except for Lumberman’s Arch, which closes at 7 p.m.) These parks (along with summer playground programming and wading pools) will be supervised by staff from June 29 to Sept. 6.

Adults 19+ will also be able to drink alcoholic beverages at several beaches this weekend, including Jericho Beach, Spanish Banks, Locarno Beach, Second Beach, Kitsilano Beach, John Hendry/Trout Lake Beach, and New Brighton Beach.

Drinking alcohol is not allowed at English Bay Beach, Sunset Beach Park and Third Beach.

What’s opening later on in the season?

Vancouverites will still have to wait a few weeks for other popular outdoor pools to open. This includes Kits Pool, which the City of Vancouver and the Parks Board are aiming to open by mid-June.

The pool is over 50 years old and has reached the “end of its functional life .” It has several deteriorating components and a history of storm damage, which adds to the “complexity of its opening each season.”

Maple Grove Pool (a heated outdoor shallow pool in Kerrisdale) and the Hillcrest outdoor pool (near Queen Elizabeth Park) will open on June 15.

Originally published on Daily Hive.

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