Legislature reflecting pool finally opens after three-week leak delay
The Alberta legislature's popular summer cooling spot is now open after a month-long closure stemmed the water loss that plagued it for years.
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The reflecting pool at Alberta's legislature grounds reopened Monday — marking the first time this summer Edmontonians can cool off at the iconic spot after a three-week delay caused by an unexpected water leak.
The pool, which typically opens during the Victoria Day weekend, sat empty while crews investigated and repaired a loss of water from an apparent breach. A mini-excavator was spotted on site as recently as last week, near a hole in the deck at the pool's north end. The dome fountain and spray park nearby opened in May without incident.
The closure echoes a much longer shutdown that ended in 2024. The pool remained closed for four years before that after losing more than 60,000 litres of water over years — much of it leaking directly onto 97 Avenue below. That crisis led to a $20-million overhaul of all three water features at the legislature grounds, funded jointly by provincial ($12 million) and federal ($8 million) coffers.
The pool was never originally intended as a public cooling spot when it was built in the 1970s, but it's become a beloved summer destination for residents seeking refuge from heat. With the fix in place and summer ramping up, the legislature grounds are now operating at full capacity again.