East Toronto beaches, two outdoor pools, to remain open with lifeguard supervision into September to help residents beat the heat

East Toronto residents will have a number of swimming options to help stay cool throughout the entire Labour Day long weekend and the early weeks of September.

Two local pools are among a number of the city’s outdoor pools that will be staying open for an extra three weeks this summer, extending their times available for public swimming through the upcoming Labour Day weekend and all the way to Sept. 22. Usually, all of the city’s outdoor pools close for the season on the Sunday of the Labour Day long weekend.

Also, lifeguard supervision at local beaches including Woodbine Beach, Kew-Balmy Beach and Cherry Beach will extended into next week. There will be lifeguards on duty at those beaches (and Sunnyside Beach in the west end) from Tuesday, Sept. 3 to Sunday, Sept. 8. The lifeguards will be on duty between 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. In past years, lifeguard supervision at city beaches has ended on Labour Day.

Mayor Olivia Chow and Scarborough Centre Councillor Michael Thompson made the announcement of the extension of opening times for a total of 10 city pools, and the impacted beaches, on Thursday, Aug. 28, in Scarborough.

The East Toronto outdoor pools that will be remaining open until Sept. 22 are the Donald D Summerville pools (1867 Lake Shore Blvd. E.) and the Riverdale Park East pool (550 Broadview Ave.).

Other outdoor pools remaining open in the city for the extended time are Alex Duff Pool (779 Crawford St.), Alexandra Park (275 Bathurst St.), Heron Park Community Centre (292 Manse Rd.), McGregor Park Community Centre (2231 Lawrence Ave. E.), Goulding Park Community Centre (45 Goulding Ave.), Broadlands Community Centre (19 Castlegrove Blvd.), Pine Point Arena (15 Grierson Rd.), and the West Mall Outdoor Pool (370 The West Mall).

The opening hours for all of the pools staying open until Sept. 22 will be from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays, and from noon to 7 p.m. on weekends.

“By keeping pools open longer, we can provide a vital, accessible way for people to have fun and stay cool as we experience warmer and longer summer weather,” said Chow. “Extending pool hours is not just about recreation; it’s a strategic response to climate change.”

With a warm stretch of weather expected through the Labour Day weekend and into the rest of September, the city said that by keeping the 10 outdoor pools open for more days it is “providing another option for residents and families to cool down during the warm late summer days.”

The 10 pools to stay open longer were selected based on location, availability of staff, and sufficient lighting for evening programming, as the sun goes down earlier in September.

All other city-owned and operated outdoor pools will close on Sunday, Sept. 1 at 4 p.m. Wading pools will also close for the season on Sept. 1 at the locations’ regularly scheduled time.

For more information on the City of Toronto’s pools, including hours of opening, please go to https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/parks-recreation/program-activities/swim-water-activities/swimming-water-play/.

And for those who want to make sure their canine friends are keeping cool this long weekend, there will be a number of Dog Swims offered at some of the city’s outdoor pools that will be closing on Sept. 1.

Locally, the Dog Swims are slated for the Greenwood Park and Monarch Park outdoor pools on Sunday, Sept. 1, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Since the Riverdale East outdoor pool is staying open for extended public swimming, it’s Dog Swim event will take place on Sept. 22 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The Dog Swim is a free event, but only the dogs are allowed in the water during them. Owners must stay on the pool deck and supervise their dogs while swimming.

An adult age 18 or older must accompany the dog and keep watch on it from the side of the pool. A maximum of two dogs per person will be allowed, and a proof of rabies vaccination will be required for participation in the Dog Swim.

Spectators are also welcome to attend and watch the dogs swim from pool side, but they must 12 years or older for safety reasons. Registration in advance is not required for the Dog Swims.