Summer in Vancouver unofficially starts with the opening of outdoor pools and beaches. The fun kicks off this Victoria Day/May Long Weekend, the first weekend of 2014 when the lifeguards and park rangers will be on duty. The heated seaside pools at Kitsilano Beach Park, Second Beach in Stanley Park, and New Brighton Park open Saturday, May 17. Swimmers often line up to be the first to make a splash. The outdoor pools operate until the Labour Day weekend, with out pool, Kitsilano Pool, typically open until mid-September.
New this year, temporary windbreaks have been installed at both Kitsilano and Second Beach pools. The screens will significantly reduce heat loss and goosebumps! A two-week trial in early June last year at Second Beach reduced the pool’s energy consumption by 400 gigajoules of natural gas – a savings of $4,000. The windbreaks will also protect swimmers and sunbathers from chilly prevailing winds.
The Park Board’s outdoor pools offer a range of admission options: single drop-ins, 10-visit passes, or the monthly Flexipass. These passes can save you money and are loaded onto OneCard for universal access to Park Board pools, rinks, and fitness centres.
Starting this weekend, beach lifeguards and park rangers will be on duty at beaches too. Lifeguards patrol the Park Board’s 11 supervised bathing beaches from Victoria Day to Labour Day between 11:30am and 8:30pm daily (9:00pm from mid-June to mid-August). When the red light is on at the Lifeguard Station, lifeguards are not on duty. Almost 18 kilometres of ocean beach stretch from Spanish Banks West all the way around English Bay to Third Beach in Stanley Park. Trout Lake, located in John Hendry Park, is the lifeguard-supervised freshwater beach in Vancouver.
Last modified: February 18, 2024
