Coldest part of winter: the pool
Diving into the pool at the Earl Beatty Community Centre is a bracing experience, like one of those daredevil polar bear swims. It’s been a tolerable winter so far, with lots of mild weather and hardly any snow. Compared to the misery of the previous two winters, it is bordering on comfortable.
Vigorous activity helps to make a mild winter more tolerable. And for some people, that means swimming in an indoor pool, usually at one of the city’s facilities.
But swimmers at the Beatty pool, part of a city community centre attached to the Earl Beatty Public School, on Glebeholme Blvd., were recently told it’ll be closed on weekends and evenings until April, due to water-heater problems.
The closure does not apply to school kids who swim during the day and don’t mind the c-c-c-c-cold water. But it has frustrated regular swimmers who are also willing to take the plunge.
A reader emailed to say she’s been using the pool for 16 years and doesn’t understand why it’s OK for kids to swim during the day, but not for her at night.
“Since the new year, the temperature has been a little on the cool side,” she said. “This has actually been rather pleasant for those of us who do the lane swim.
“But last week, we were told it would be closed for repairs until Friday, and (on Tuesday) I learned the pool would be closed until April,” during evenings and on weekends.
“As a long-time user (and annual pass holder), I am furious that the city made this decision. It still has to be maintained and monitored but will lie dormant for no good reason, while those of us who are dying to swim will be out of luck.”
We went there Friday — two days after we first asked the city about it — and found signs on the door that indicate a sudden change of heart. The signs, which went up Thursday, said “limited” drop-in swimming programs will be available, including the lane swim our reader enjoys. Status: Matthew Cutler, who deals with media for parks and recreation, said the Toronto District School Board, which is responsible for the pool, “identified an issue with the heat exchanger (causing) water temperatures to drop below our acceptable levels (as low as 24.4 C). The pool was closed to temporarily remedy the issue while a new heat exchanger is ordered and installed. While the repair has not yet been completed, TDSB has been able to maintain a stable water temperature of 78 F (25.5 C). Drop-in programs will resume later this week.” What’s broken in your neighbourhood? Wherever you are in Greater Toronto, we want to know. To contact us, go to thestar.com/yourtoronto/the_fixer, call us at 416-869-4823 or email jlakey@thestar.ca. Report problems and follow us on Twitter @TOStarFixer.