If you’re looking for a way to beat the heat, Greater Moncton’s outdoor pools are an option.
Senior Director of YMCA Aquatics Joey Doucet says Centennial and East End pools were busy spots yesterday, “We had over 1400 people at Centennial Pool on Thursday. We were calling in extra lifeguards for both locations.”
The season for the two outdoor pools in Moncton got off to a slow start due to all of the rain, but Doucet says things have really picked up now the sun is out.
The pools are still open on rainy days, but there are specific rules in place in the case of downpours or thunder and lightning,
“If there is thunder, we do have to clear the pool and we start a 30-minute timer. As long as there is no thunder or lightning within that 30 minutes we’ll reopen. If we do see lightning or hear another rumble, we have to start the 30-minute timer again. We have to go the full 30 minutes before we can let people back into the pool,” Doucet says.
He suggests if you’re planning on heading to one of the pools over the next few days under sunny sky, bring lots of liquids, stay hydrated, bring umbrellas to keep you in the shade and sunscreen.
Despite reports of a lifeguard shortage for some pools, Doucet says they are fully staffed, “We have 82 staff. I think the advantage is us having an indoor pool with staff and we can move people around if there are people that need shifts covered. Or if we need extra guards we can move guards from the indoor pool to the outdoor pools and vice versa.”
He adds they offer lifeguarding courses, including Bronze Cross, Bronze Medallion and the National Lifeguard Certification for anyone who is interested in training required to work at area pools. “We have a Bronze Cross starting this weekend at the YMCA that runs for the month of July on Saturdays and Sundays, and then we have our NLS running in August.”
If you’re not much of a swimmer, splash pads are also available to help beat the heat in the Tri-Communities.
Another outdoor pool, the Lion Ken Gabbey Pool is located in the Town of Riverview.
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