Swimmers get ready. It’s the Victoria Day long weekend and that means Vancouver’s outdoor pools are open for the season.
“Outdoor pools are cherished by Vancouverites,” park board vice chair Dave Demers said Thursday at a press conference at the Second Beach pool in Stanley Park.
The Second Beach and New Brighton Park outdoor pools will open for the season at 10 a.m. Saturday, and the Kitsilano outdoor pool opens at 9 a.m. All three are heated and Kits is the only salt water pool in the city. New this year, both Kits and Second Beach pools now have free WiFi available.
The outdoor pool at Hillcrest Centre also opens Saturday at noon. The Maple Grove outdoor pool in Kerrisdale opens June 15. The park board also operates a number of wading pools that are open in July and August.
In addition to the outdoor pools, the park board’s 14 water parks across the city will open May 18. All have been outfitted with water-saving push button technology. Most are open from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. daily but check out a full list of hours and locations here.
For swimmers looking to take a dip in the ocean, lifeguards will be on duty at 11 beaches starting this weekend from 11:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m., except when the red light is on at the lifeguard station. Lifeguards are on duty daily through the summer until Labour Day weekend and hours are extended until 9 p.m. from mid-June until mid-August.
Vancouver has approximately 18 kilometres of coastline and nearly 11 kilometres of beaches. East Vancouver’s Trout Lake in John Hendry Park is the only freshwater, lifeguard-supervised beach in the city.
Also in time for the long weekend, all 13 concession stands across the city will be open for hungry beach and park goers, and there are a few new menu options available this year. The park board is getting on the Beyond Meat bandwagon with the popular plant-based burgers now available at concession stands, along with locally-made fresh beef burgers, vegetarian curries, ramen noodles, lettuce wraps and, for those looking for more traditional concession-stand fare, fish and chips.
The city’s single-use item reduction strategy is in place at all concession stands. Paper straws are available upon request and travel mug discounts are available on coffee purchases.
@JessicaEKerr
jkerr@vancourier.com
