Outdoor pools in East Toronto and across the city open for the summer this weekend

Fifteen of the City of Toronto’s of outdoor pools opened earlier this month and a number of others are set to open up this weekend, just in time for the official start of summer.

Among the pools that opened on Saturday, June 14, were East Toronto’s Donald D. Summerville Olympic Pool and Riverdale Park East Pool.

As of this weekend (June 21 and 22), all of the city’s 50 outdoor pools will be opening.

Locally, those pools will include Monarch Park, Stan Wadlow Park and Blantyre Park. At the moment, the Greenwood Park pool will not be open as it is undergoing repairs.

Operating hours will be 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays for next week, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends. As of June 27, the city’s outdoor pools will move to regular summer hours. To find out the opening hours of a specific pool, please go to the city’s swimming website at https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/parks-recreation/program-activities/swim-water-activities/swimming-water-play/#location=&lat=&lng=&zoom=

In addition to the early start this year, the city has also confirmed that a number of outdoor pools will remain open later than usual this year. While most outdoor pools typically close after Labour Day weekend, the extended schedule will see a number of them stay open until Sept. 21.

The city says the move is part of an ongoing effort to adapt to increasingly warmer seasonal temperatures in Toronto, offering more accessible public cooling options including swimming pools and wading pools for residents during the hottest months of the year.

Toronto is expected to see hot and humid weather beginning this Sunday, June 22, and lasting early into next week.

During the summer, the city also said there will be instances where certain outdoor pools stay open much later into the night to help residents beat the heat. Announcements will be made on those specific situations later in the summer and depending on the temperatures.