The City of Toronto has kept all outdoor swimming pools and wading pools closed for a third consecutive day due to poor air quality. The closure was announced in a social media post, citing an "orange air quality warning" as the reason. However, the air quality risk was assessed at only a 2 on a scale from 1 to 10 at noon on the same day. This decision has left many residents without a way to cool off during the sweltering heat.
Toronto's air quality has been severely impacted by wildfires to the north, with the city's air rated as the worst in the world earlier in the week. The air quality risk was forecast to reach a "very high risk" level by Friday night and early Saturday. As a result, the city has taken precautions to minimize outdoor activities, including cancelling registered outdoor recreation programming and moving daycares and CampTO programming indoors.
The city's decision to close the pools has raised questions about its protocol for handling air quality warnings. While the city encourages residents to use public pools as a way to cool off during heat alerts, the extended closures have sparked concern. Last summer, some public pools were shut down due to extreme heat, with the city citing "staff health and safety protocols" as the reason.
The impact of the pool closures is being felt by residents, particularly during a time when the city is experiencing extreme heat. The city's social media post advised residents to stay indoors as much as possible and reschedule or cancel outdoor activities due to the poor air quality. The city has yet to respond to inquiries about whether the pools will remain closed over the weekend.
The city's recreation programs have been significantly disrupted by the air quality warning. All registered outdoor recreation programming has been cancelled, postponed, or relocated indoors, and daycares and CampTO programming have been moved inside. The city's measures aim to protect residents from the poor air quality, but the prolonged pool closures have left many without a way to enjoy the summer weather.
