Pool Admission Policy

R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 565: Public Pools under the Health Protection and Promotion Act requires that there is a process in place to ensure a guardian or designated person supervises children under 10 years of age. The process must include a swimming competency test.  

Admission Standards for public pools were developed by the Office of the Coroner of Ontario to assist Lifeguards in maintaining adequate surveillance over the whereabouts and the activities of young bathers while they are within the pool enclosure.

Swim Admission Policy 

Children Under the Age of 5
  • Children 5 years of age and under may not be admitted to the swimming pool unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian who is at least 12 years of age and responsible for their direct supervision, with a maximum of 2 children for each parent or guardian.  
    • Children 5 years of age and under will receive a red wristband upon entry to the facility. This wristband must be worn.
    • The red wristband indicates that children must be within arm’s reach of their parent/guardian at all times.
Children 6 to 9 Years of Age 
  • Children 6 to 9 years of age can swim alone, given they pass the swim facility test. 
  • Children 6 to 9 years of age who are unable to complete the facility swim test must be accompanied by a parent or guardian who is at least 12 years of age and responsible for their direct supervision: 
    • Either a maximum of 2 children for each parent/guardian or a maximum of 5 children for each parent/guardian, given all children are wearing a Personal Floatation Device (P.F.D.). 
    • If one of the children is under the age of 6, then there is a maximum of 2 children for each parent/guardian. 
  • Children 6 to 9 years of age will receive a yellow wristband upon entry to the facility. This wristband must be worn. 
    • The yellow wristband indicates that children must be within arm’s reach of their parent/guardian at all times.
Children 10 Years of Age and Older
  • Children 10 years of age and older can swim independently.
Facility Swim Test
  • In order to swim independently, children 6 to 9 years of age must:  
    • proficiently swim 2 widths un-aided (i.e. no life jacket, water wings, etc.) of the largest pool open during the leisure swim and tread water for 1 minute. 
    • proficiently swim 2 lengths of the S.A.R.C. or 1 length of the A.F.L.C. un-aided (i.e. no life jacket, water wings, etc.) during the lane swim and tread water for 1 minute. 
  • Upon completing the facility swim test they will receive a green wristband indicating that they are able to swim independently. 
  • Note: A facility swim test will be required upon every visit.
Water Slide
  • Anyone wanting to ride the water slide must be a minimum of 48" (122 cm) in height.
Diving Board
  • Swimmers wearing red or yellow wristbands are permitted to use the diving board as long as they are directly supervised by a parent/guardian. The parent/guardian is asked to wait off to the side (in the pool) until the child has entered the water. For safety reasons, parents/guardians are not allowed to catch children when jumping from the diving board. Swimmers may use lifejackets off of the diving board (no water wings or other flotation devices are permitted).