There are no plans to open Kitsilano Pool for the summer season after all.
In a bulletin today, the Vancouver Park Board announced the popular outdoor swimming pool next to Kitsilano Beach will remain closed this summer.
This is due to the significant volume of water the pool is still leaking, even after the interim repairs performed earlier this spring. As a result, the Park Board states this makes it “impossible to balance pool chemicals.”
Furthermore, according to the Park Board, Vancouver Coastal Health has confirmed the pool cannot be operated safely in its current condition.
The continued closure of the pool will enable the Park Board to perform more investigative work and repairs.
“The extended closure will allow staff to fully investigate the ongoing water loss and make the needed repairs to the underground piping and basin required to extend the facility’s useful life. Staff also plan to install a custom liner which is expected to extend the life of the pool,” reads the bulletin.
“We appreciate your understanding and patience as we work to ensure that Kitsilano Outdoor Pool will be available in future years pending a complete reconstruction of this cherished facility.”
Kitsilano Pool condition in mid-May 2024. (Claire Fenton/Daily Hive)
With Kitsilano Pool closed for the season, the Second Beach Pool at Stanley Park, opening on June 12, will see extended operating hours.
Park Board staff first made the pool’s issue public in late 2023 when they revealed it is leaking 30,000 litres of water per hour. However, this leakage is mostly seawater, not potable drinking water, with seawater coming into the pool and then leaking out.
The pool structure is now over 50 years old and has seen substantial damage from recent king tides and storm surges.
Park Board staff first announced their strategy in early April 2024 of performing some interim repairs to the pool to enable a potential reopening on May 18 in time for the Victoria Day long weekend. But it was later made clear that this date was not possible due to unforeseen repairs, with the opening date target pushed to early June.
Eric Buermeyer/Shutterstock
Clayton Perry