Starting Saturday, Torontonians had 39 more ways to beat the heat--the city opened some outdoor swimming pools to the public.
The facilities will be running afternoons and weekends until regular, full-time hours of operation begin at the end of June, when the remaining 21 city-operated pools will also open.
The pool openings include four in North York, three in Scarborough, and eight in Toronto and East York. Etobicoke residents have 25 pools to choose from in their area.
Ann Jackson, with Toronto Parks and Recreation, said pools may even be open for a late night swim next weekend--if all the conditions are met.
For the city to leave the pools open into the evening, it must be 30 degrees Celsius or hotter, humidity has to be high, and a heat alert must be in effect.
"We might consider it next Saturday, for example, if all those conditions were present," Jackson said.
Parks and Recreation also has 64 splash pads that open daily from dawn to dusk. On June 28, the city will open 111 wading pools for daily operation.
The pools will remain open until September, and the city offers a range of free swimming programs for people of all ages and abilities to learn how to swim and how to be safe around water.
For information on indoor and outdoor swimming pools, wading pools and splash pads, including locations and hours of operation, call the pool hotline at 416-338-POOL (7665).
With a report from CTV's Roger Petersen
