Pool Updates and FAQ

Tuesday, March 18

Plans for reopening have been submitted to VCH, and as we await approval we have begun preparations to welcome you back to your community pool. 

A VCH inspection is scheduled for March 24. We will also be working with staff next week to determine a modified schedule for gradual re-opening. The focus will be on re-opening public swims and providing pool user access, with swimming lessons to follow. 

To make this happen, a lot of work is happening behind the scenes, including staffing, reinstating programming, and completing all the necessary preparations for running an aquatic facility. 

We sincerely thank the community, user groups, and staff for their support and encouragement in getting this facility back up and running.

We will keep this page updated with any new questions to ensure you stay informed on the status of our pool.

Thursday, March 13

We thank the community for your patience. Our goal remains to reopen the pool as quickly and safely as possible. We know the pool closure has been extremely disruptive, and we want to ensure the community that staff have been putting every effort towards a path to reopening with the regulator, Vancouver Coastal Health.

We are now able to provide an update on our progress over the course of the past few weeks.

The District worked in close coordination with VCH to determine the required next steps for reopening.  The path to regulatory approval of any measures put forward by the District, interim or otherwise, requires a signed and sealed professional engineer’s report supporting the proposed solution. As a result the District engaged a Professional Engineer to oversee and report on Dynamic Coefficient of Friction testing on February 28, 2025.  Testing was completed in accordance with standards set by the Terrazzo, Tile and Marble Association of Canada and the American National Standards Institute. The District received a report on March 10 which confirmed that acceptable slip resistance measurements were achieved on the floor tiles, meeting both relevant Canadian and American specifications. These measurements, and the supporting documentation, form the basis of the District’s request for reopening the pool.

These results have been submitted to Vancouver Coastal Health in the form of a signed and sealed professional engineers report, and we are anticipating acceptance of these findings and being able to announce a re-opening plan in the near future.

“I’m happy that our team has found a way through what has been an extremely challenging Vancouver Coastal Health regulatory process,” says District of Squamish Mayor Armand Hurford. “We understand the impacts the closure has had on staff, pool user groups and the broader community and look forward to welcoming everyone back to the pool as soon as possible.”

The Steam Room unfortunately does not meet acceptable anti-slip levels as confirmed by the most recent testing and is expected to continue to remain closed.  The reopening of the pool is a primary focus, and we will continue to work on developing remediation plans for the steam room as a secondary priority. 

Next steps will require further collaboration with VCH, as well as operational considerations (filling the pool, testing levels, etc.) and recalling and rehiring staff. 

We will provide a further update on Monday, March 17 with as much new information we can provide.

We sincerely thank the community for your ongoing patience throughout the closure. We understand impacts of the closure on our staff, user groups and community, and we continue to work diligently to re-open the pool as quickly and safely as possible to get back to serving the community with this important and well-loved recreational asset.

We thank the community for your ongoing patience while we work to resolve these issues. We have heard feedback and concerns from our patrons and user groups regarding the impacts of the closure, and we are doing our best to respond to and provide updates as the work continues. Please be assured that re-opening the pool as quickly and safely as possible to get back to serving the community with this important recreational asset is our top priority.

Thursday, February 27

District staff are actively working on solutions to address the pool deck slipping hazard, that has resulted in its closure. The timeline for reopening is dependent on identifying corrective actions, implementing them, undergoing inspections, receiving VCH approval, and operational considerations. At this time, the pool is estimated to remain closed for at least four weeks (from the February 14 update), though this could extend further depending on the required work and approval process.

For more information and FAQs regarding the Pool Closure, please visit Pool Updates and FAQ below. We will continue to share updates as more information becomes available.

We understand this closure is frustrating, and we appreciate your patience as we work towards reopening.

February 12, 2025

After a recent safety inspection, Vancouver Coastal Health has determined that the Brennan Park Pool deck does not meet the required anti-slip standards for wet surfaces and has ordered an immediate pool closure until further notice as a health and safety precaution. Vancouver Coastal Health treats facility closures as high priority given the impacts and importance to the community. District staff are working to remedy the slipping hazard and minimize the length of closure. We understand that residents will feel frustrated by this situation, and we are doing everything we can to re-open quickly and safely.

Thank you for your patience while we work through this process. 

Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) has the regulatory authority to authorize closures under the Public Health Act.

After a February 11 safety inspection, Vancouver Coastal Health determined that the Brennan Park Pool deck does not meet the required anti-slip standards for wet surfaces and ordered an immediate pool closure until further notice as a health and safety precaution.

Under the BC Public Health Act Pool Regulation, a pool operator must ensure that pool aprons, walkways and floors have a surface that is slip-resistant when wet.

On January 15, Vancouver Coastal Health conducted a site inspection and observed that the existing tile floors around the pool, steam room appeared slippery and may no longer meet the required anti-slip standards.

Vancouver Coastal Health ordered a closure of the steam room and further testing of multiple tiled surfaces within the pool area.

Slip-resistance testing was carried out at the pool by an independent third party on February 11, under the direction of Vancouver Coastal Health.

The results of this further testing indicated that the tiles did not meet the required anti-slip standards for wet surfaces. Because the slip-resistance did not meet the required standards for wet surfaces, VCH ordered a closure order, effective on February 12.

Vancouver Coastal Health inspects the pool on an as-needed basis. Since 2015, Vancouver Coastal Health has conducted more than 30 routine inspections. None of the inspection reports were related to anti-slip measures.

There are various methodologies to enhance the slip-resistance of existing tiles. Staff are currently reviewing the most appropriate corrective solutions to remediate the situation to ensure a safe environment. As a part of this process, any corrective action must be reviewed by Vancouver Coastal Health prior to the work commencing.

Yes. The tiled surfaces are original and date back to the pool’s opening in 1992 for both the pool deck and steam room flooring.

The Brennan Park Aquatic Centre will officially reopen on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Until then, the pool remains closed, and there is no drop-in swims, swim lessons, showers or bookings available. Stay tuned for more details on programs and schedules!

Slip testing was previously not part of our annual shutdown tasks, however this is now under review.

Regular shutdown tasks are currently underway and may assist in reducing the fall shutdown.

All Spring Break aquatics programming has unfortunately been cancelled and registration for all aquatics programming is temporarily on hold. All registered participants received notices of cancellation on Monday, March 3. Refunds were automatically issued.

Yes. Because there may be changes to swimming lessons being offered this spring, all residents are being asked to register for aquatics programming on a first-come-first-served basis.

Preparations are well underway for the April 2, 2025 reopening. Staff are actively recalling and scheduling lifeguards, and ensuring the facility is fully ready to welcome the community back. Additional program details will be shared on Thursday, March 27.

For those who registered in-person or with account credit, refunds will be automatically applied as an account credit. 

For those who registered online, refunds will be issued to the original form of payment (account credit or credit card).

If you have any questions regarding your account please contact us at 604.898.3604

The District is implementing the following short-term changes:

• Installation of additional signage in high-visibility areas indicating that the pool deck and walkways may be slippery.
• A deep cleaning of pool deck including degreaser application, high rpm scrubbing and pressure washing.
• Submission of monthly safety reports to VCH.
• Update of the Pool Safety Plan to reduce slip and falls.

The District will continue to explore the following long-term options. These options will be brought to Council for consideration through the budget process:

• Epoxy Deck Retrofit
• Full tile replacement
• Tile coating option
• Chemical etching

Aquatics registration for spring swim lessons (May and June) will reopen in a few weeks, with exact dates to be announced. We’re taking a phased approach to programming and are currently prioritizing staffing, scheduling, and facility readiness. Thank you for your patience!

The steam room will remain closed. Staff are actively working on a plan to address the required updates. We’ll provide more information as progress is made. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work towards a full reopening of the aquatic facility.

Staff are connecting individually with pool user groups to discuss access.