
Vancouver's Kitsilano Pool needs more repairs, won't open for May long weekend
The 50-year-old saltwater swimming spot revealed itself to be in need of even more repairs when staff began preparing it for the season, according to the park board.
'We recognize that the pool holds a special place in the hearts of Vancouverites as an iconic facility, synonymous with summer. Staff are working hard to complete the necessary work and are committed to providing timely updates as progress continues,' an announcement from the board said, adding that the opening is 'expected' in mid-June.
Last year, Kits Pool ultimately opened for an abbreviated season in August and the future of the pool has been something the mayor and council have sought to address, in part, by passing a motion that would pursue the potential for corporate sponsorship to fund a rebuild.
The pools at New Brighton and Second Beach will open on May 17, in time for the unofficial start of summer. Online registration in advance is advised for would-be swimmers, as the board notes that 'admission is not guaranteed' at drop-in sessions.
The May long weekend will also bring the opening of city-operated splash pads and wading pools and lifeguards patrolling at beaches. The park board notes that alcohol consumption is allowed at beaches – with the exception of Sunset Beach, Third Beach and English Bay.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


National Post
41 minutes ago
- National Post
'Don't be a pushover': What a passenger rights activist says you need to know ahead of possible Air Canada strike
An air passenger rights advocate says that customers shouldn't be afraid to enforce their own rights as a possible strike between Air Canada and its flight attendants looms ahead of the weekend. Article content On Wednesday, the airline received notice of a strike from the Air Canada Component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents 10,000 flight attendants. The airline then issued lockout notice. A strike could happen on Saturday. The two sides cannot come to an agreement over wages and working conditions. Article content Article content The potential strike has already led to some changes in travel plans for customers. The airline said this week it was starting to cancel flights with 'a complete cessation of flying by Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge on August 16.' As Saturday approaches, president of advocacy group Air Passenger Rights Gábor Lukács said travellers should keep track of their interactions with the airline. Article content Article content Airlines must ensure 'a passenger whose flight has been disrupted completes their journey – either on the original flight or through alternate travel arrangements. The aim must be to get the passenger to the destination indicated on their original ticket as soon as possible,' per the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA). Article content Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR) maintains that an airline is required to rebook a passenger on any carrier, including competitors, if it cannot be booked on the original airline. Article content Article content Lukács said that passengers should not necessarily take the full refund being offered by the airline. Article content Article content 'If you take a refund, then it can be viewed as you waive your right to alternate transportation,' he said. Article content There are two kinds of cancellations in this case, said Lukács: preemptive and reactive. Article content 'The preemptive cancelations we are seeing now when the strike has not begun,' he said. 'You are going to see the reactive cancelations tomorrow, if there is a strike.' Article content He continued: 'They don't want to park the aircraft abroad or don't want to fly it back empty. That's within the carrier's control so the airline owes passenger meals, accommodation, lump sum, compensation, up to $1,000 and they owe passengers, most importantly, rebooking, including on competitor airlines.' Article content The regulations do not prescribe the exact scope of a labour disruption, said the CTA in an emailed statement to National Post. 'It is the airline's responsibility to demonstrate that the specific flight disruption was due to a labour disruption within the meaning of the APPR, and therefore out of the airline's control,' it said.


CTV News
42 minutes ago
- CTV News
Maritime travellers scramble to find flights as potential Air Canada work stoppage looms
An Air Canada kiosk at the Moncton airport is pictured. (Source: Derek Haggett/CTV News Atlantic) After a vacation to the East Coast, Mary-Jo Cairns and her family were scheduled to fly back home from Halifax to Toronto with Air Canada on Sunday. But the possibility of a work stoppage made them change their plans and try to find a flight on Friday. 'They're telling us our flight is at 5 and they're also telling us there is no flight, that we're going home Wednesday. So we will likely have to rent a car and drive back to Ontario to meet our commitments,' said Cairns. More than 10,000 flight attendants with Air Canada could walk off the job Saturday afternoon. That could be followed by a company-imposed lockout if the airline and its employees can't reach a last-minute deal. Around 500 flights scheduled for Friday were cancelled due to the potential work stoppage with a full stop a very real possibility for Saturday. Halifax Stanfield International Airport spokesperson Tiffany Chase said they are encouraging anyone already booked with Air Canada to check the status of their flight before they come to the airport. Chase said they were starting to see some cancellations on the flight board on Friday. 'Those are pre-planned cancellations or as a result of the ongoing negotiations between Air Canada and its unionized employees,' said Chase. Chase said the airport is starting to see the phased shut down of the network that Air Canada has been talking about. 'We're seeing cancellations on the board today, but by tomorrow if this strike goes ahead, we'll see a full shutdown of Air Canada's main line network which would involve any Air Canada or any Air Canada Rouge branded flight,' said Chase. There was only one Air Canada flight cancelled at the Greater Moncton Roméo LeBlanc International Airport early Friday afternoon, but there could be more red on the big board Saturday. Moncton airport The Greater Moncton Roméo LeBlanc International Airport is pictured. (Source: Derek Haggett/CTV News Atlantic) Dave Flowers is the president and directing general chairperson of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. He was at the airport in Dieppe to talk to union members, including baggage handlers, maintenance and ground staff. 'Obviously, there's some uncertainty. There's a lot of confusion, but we're here to assure them that things will be OK on their side and that we support CUPE and their fight for a good, fair collective agreement,' said Flowers. Gary Jones flew with Air Canada from Whitehorse to Toronto to Moncton. His flights were not cancelled, but they were delayed and his baggage didn't make it to New Brunswick. 'I am frustrated, not with the employees of Air Canada. They're doing their best with what their up against,' said Jones. 'We were herded through three different gates last night in Toronto. If you don't see a plane at a gate, you know there's no plane.' Cairns and her family were stuck waiting and hoping they could get a flight back home Friday before the potential work stoppage. 'We're trying to assume the worst so that we're not too disappointed,' said Cairns. 'It is what it is.' -With files from the Canadian Press


Globe and Mail
an hour ago
- Globe and Mail
Air Canada could shut down completely unless the airline and its flight attendants reach a deal
TORONTO (AP) — A complete shutdown of Air Canada is looming if the union representing the flight attendants of the country's dominant air carrier and the airline fail to reach an agreement by early Saturday. More than 10,000 flight attendants are poised to walk off the job around 1 a.m. EST on Saturday, followed by a company-imposed lockout. It threatens to impact about 130,000 travelers a day. The Canadian carrier said it expects to call off 500 flights by the end of Friday ahead of the deadline. It already started canceling flights on Thursday in expectation of the massive work stoppage that could impact hundreds of thousands of travelers. A full grounding could affect some 25,000 Canadians a day abroad who may become stranded. "We strongly urge the parties to work with federal mediators and get a deal done. Time is precious and Canadians are counting on you," Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu said in a statement Friday. By midday Friday, Air Canada had called off 87 domestic flights and 176 international flights that were scheduled to depart on Friday and Saturday, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. On Thursday, when the airline said it was beginning it's 'phased wind down' of most operations, 18 domestic flights and four international flights were canceled. Canadian Union of Public Employees, or CUPE, which represents the flight attendants, refused to voluntarily submit to arbitration. 'The appropriate course of action is for Air Canada to return to the table and resume good faith bargaining,' it said in a statement. The union, which represents about 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants, and the airline say disagreements over key issues, including pay raises, have brought contract talks to a standstill. How long the planes will be grounded remains to be seen. Air Canada Chief Operating Officer Mark Nasr said the decision to lock out the union members even if it meant halting flights would help facilitate an orderly restart, 'which under the best circumstances will take a full week to complete.' Air Canada and CUPE have been in contract talks for about eight months, but they have yet to reach a tentative deal. The union put it to a vote at the end of July and 99.7% approved a strike. On Wednesday, it gave Air Canada a 72-hour strike notice. The airline responded with a so-called lockout notice, saying it would prevent the flight attendants from working on Saturday. The union said it rejected a proposal from the airline to enter a binding arbitration process that would have prevented flight attendants from walking off the job, saying it prefers to negotiate a deal that its members can then vote on.