City Council Backs Free Swimming Lessons for Kids
Vancouver unanimously approved a motion to create free swim programs for children aged 3–12 and to expand pool access across the city.
Vancouver City Council voted unanimously this week to expand swimming access across the city in a move framed as public safety and equity. The motion, put forward by Mayor Ken Sim, directs staff to work with the park board on establishing a free swimming lesson program for kids aged 3 to 12—a deliberate nod to Sim's own childhood, when his family couldn't afford lessons.
"Every child should have the opportunity to learn how to swim," Sim said in a statement. The program will be funded through the city's annual operating and capital budgets, starting next year.
The motion also addresses a long-standing complaint: Vancouver's outdoor pool capacity. The city currently has five outdoor pools. Montreal, with roughly double Vancouver's population, has twelve times as many. Toronto, with four times Vancouver's population, has ten times as many pools. Council is asking staff to propose a realistic target for pools per 10,000 residents by 2035.
Another win for swimmers: Council is pushing to scrap the reservation system that was implemented during COVID to prevent crowding. Instead, the park board will be asked to maximize capacity by removing time limits, reinstating drop-in access, and allowing in-person lineups. A similar motion was withdrawn last summer, so this time around carries more political weight.
New Brighton and Second Beach pools opened last weekend; Maple Grove and Hillcrest open June 15. The aging but beloved Kitsilano Pool is due mid-June pending ongoing repairs. Lifeguards are already supervising designated swim areas at Spanish Banks, Jericho, Locarno, Kitsilano, Sunset, English Bay, and Second and Third beaches. This is a quieter policy win than baseball franchises or redevelopment projects, but for families priced out of private lessons, it's genuine.