**** HRM Media Release
Outdoor pools and beaches open for 2023 season
The Halifax Regional Municipality is advising residents that the Bedford and Cole Harbour outdoor pools, as well as all supervised municipal beaches, will open for the season on Saturday, July 1.
The new Halifax Commons Aquatics Facility will be opening soon. Please visit our website for updates.
Bookings are required for the Bedford and Cole Harbour outdoor pools, and can be completed on our website.
Memberships for the Bedford Outdoor Pool can be purchased at the Lebrun Recreation Centre, and memberships for the Cole Harbour Outdoor Pool can be purchased at the Cole Harbour Recreation Centre.
The Bayers-Westwood, George Dixon, Isleville Street, Cole Harbour, Shirley’s, Westmount, and Sackville splashpads opened for the 2023 season on Saturday, June 17.
The municipality will also begin testing water quality for bacteria levels and monitoring for blue-green algae at all supervised beaches on Saturday, July 1. Testing will continue until Thursday, August 31.
High bacteria levels can be caused by a number of factors, including dogs, birds, wildlife and impacts from climate change such as high temperatures, lower water levels and decreased rainfall.
In the event of a closure due to high bacteria levels, staff will continue testing the water and reopen the beach when the results are within recreational guidelines for swimming. In the event of a closure due to a possible cyanobacteria bloom, staff will investigate the bloom and reopen the beach when the risk of high levels of blue-green algae toxins has passed.
For more information, visit our website.
