It’s the stuff of bureaucratic nightmares. Earlier this month, the City of Toronto announced that 15 of its outdoor pools would be opening a week early as part of a
, with the rest slated to start operations on June 27.
Then on June 20, with temperatures in the city soaring, it gleefully posted to X that all its outdoor pools would open the following day. “Summer & outdoor pools, a perfect duo if there ever was one,” the post read, bedecked by cheerful emojis.
Summer & outdoor pools, a perfect duo if there ever was one 😎 🏊
Starting tomorrow, all City of Toronto outdoor pools will officially open for the season on a partial schedule.
More information: https://t.co/8CMlwo50jH pic.twitter.com/El2CSullJL— City of Toronto 🇨🇦 (@cityoftoronto) June 20, 2025
And then, almost as quickly, it poured cold water on the idea. Or maybe it was hot water?
“Given provincial requirements related to heat and humidex (45C+) protocols, some outdoor pools had intermittent closures today to ensure staff health and safety,” the city posted to
on Sunday. “Staff remained on site to re-open pools as soon as possible. Please check individual pool web pages for updates.”
The closure was not well received by sweltering Torontonians, and no less a citizen than Brad Bradford, councillor for Beaches-East York, took to social media on Monday to complain.
“When it’s hot out, the pools have to be open, full stop,” Bradford said in an
that showed him outside the locked gates of several outdoor municipal pools.
“Now yesterday, with the humidex of over 40 degrees, the city of Toronto was actually locking people out,” he continued, rattling a gate. “Only in the city of Toronto would they close pools because it’s too hot. You can’t make this stuff up.”
Bradford was equally vocal about who was to blame. “The mayor got caught unprepared for the summer weather that we experience every year,” he said, noting that other cities, including Montreal and Mississauga, didn’t experience any closures.
Public pools closed in 35+ degree heat – because it was “too hot”?
Only in Toronto.
Families showed up to cool down and were turned away. No warning. No plan. Just locked gates. pic.twitter.com/LFOze0r5l8— Brad Bradford✌️ (@BradMBradford) June 23, 2025
Mayor Olivia Chow
later in the day. “We noticed that as temperatures rose, health and safety standards came into effect that closed a few pools,” she said. “We apologize for that. This cannot happen again. When it’s hot outside, residents need to be able to get out to the pools and cool down.”
Pushing back on the notion that provincial laws were to blame for the closure, Ontario Premier Doug Ford told
during a call-in: “There was no minister of labour inspector that called up and said shut down the pools.”
He added: “She’s citing maybe the labour rules … those labour rules are specifically for hard-working people … pouring asphalt as opposed to sitting by a swimming pool they can jump in any time and cool down.”
Chow
on Monday, stating: “To ensure pools stay open, and avoid the intermittent closures experienced yesterday due to health and safety rules, here are the actions we’re taking immediately.”
They include deploying additional lifeguards to manage rest and work schedules, more shade structures and having medical professionals checking in or stationed on site.
“Pools need to be open during a heat wave,” she concluded. “That’s obvious to us all. We’re making sure we have the resources to keep them safe and healthy for city workers and the public alike. We’re fixing it now. Pools are open as normal.”
Chow also posted a copy of a
titled “Addressing Gaps in the City’s Heat Relief Strategy.” It included directives for additional supplies of bottled water and water trucks, and a request for a report by the end of the year “with a review of the City’s heat relief strategy and recommendations for improvements, including restoration of previously offered services like 24/7 cooling centres, and consideration of the creation of a Chief Heat Officer.”
The City of Toronto maintains a web page with information on all its
swimming and water play facilities
, including a list of closures and service alerts.
National Post has asked Councillor Bradford and Mayor Chow for additional comments.
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