This pool has so much potential. But it really needs an upgrade in many areas.
1. Price for a swim is $7. plus 25 cents for a locker key. Really? Locker keys? That means people here who don't want their valuables stolen (there are signs everywhere reminding people to secure their belongings, and signs telling you not to leave anything in your car either- also at risk of break in,) have to buy a locker key and coin. You cannot use your own combo or key lock.
So, now you have to use your locker coin to put in your belongings, and then have a giant key on a giant bobby pin to take out to the pool deck. (I will not stick a pin through my bathing suit!) Then when you return to the locker room, you have only one chance to open your locker - you cannot RE-lock it. So if you want a shower or need to use the washroom or dry your hair, etc - you have to leave the locker unlocked and out of your sight. So why the heck did I pay 25 cents?
This system is so antiquated it's embarrassing.
2. Hair dryers. Most pools that cater to adults who swim have dryers on the wall for hair drying. A lot of people, especially women, have long hair, so this is a fairly important issue in the design of a locker room. Not at this pool. There are exactly TWO hair /hand dryers in the locker room. One is at waist level and the other is about 7 feet high and in the corner by a wall and mirror, making it extremely awkward to dry my hair. And both of them are in the narrow hallway that runs between the showers and main locker room. Brilliant.Yes there is one plug for your own hand held dryer. But hey, I am bringing a towel, a swim suit, flip flops (to prevent athlete's foot and other fungal diseases) swim cap, lotion, shampoo, wallet, phone, etc. They want me to port my own hair dryer too?
3. Showers.
I haven't seen a shower this old in a long time. There is a wide open space the size of a large walk-in-closet with 7or 8 shower heads. If you have any shyness or privacy issues, this is NOT the place for you. I've been an athlete for 40 something yrs - so I'm not so shy about locker rooms. But there are a lot of people who would be uncomfortable with this arrangement. Women with scars, colostomies, breast issues, of certain cultures, using tampons, or just plan shy might not shower in places like this. A couple walled or curtained stalls would be respectful and appreciated. There are also no benches for people with mobility issues to sit on for comfort or safety reasons. How is this even legal in this day and age?
4. Rules and Regs
PHONES in locker room - DO NOT bring smart phones with cameras into a locker room with naked people including children!
Victoria needs to get with the times and start enforcing this.
SHOWERS - Take one BEFORE you enter the pool! And enforce this!
SWIM CAPS - WEAR one if you have long hair. Nothing is grosser than getting someones long stringy hair between your fingers or caught in your goggles. Enforce this!
There are many pools all over the world that have hygiene standards in keeping with public places where folks get naked, swim, wash and use toilets. There is no reason why in Canada our hygiene standards have to slip because someone's feelings might be hurt. This facility is not as clean as it should and could be. One day I saw a naked woman sitting on the sink counter (eww!) using a smart phone. Yes, really!
5. POOL
There is a diving section, a kiddie section, a 25 m lap/aerobics section and a 50m swimming area. This is great. However, despite teh schedule being online, their own policy suggests you call EVERY time you go for a lane swim in case the schedule is usurped by a swim team or competition. Nothing like driving all the way there, paying $7.25, changing into your swim duds, and finding out you have 15 mins to swim instead of your usual 45.
Other than that, the water quality is quite good, and rarely are the 50 m lanes crowded. At times the deep end 25 m section is quite crowded.
6. LIFEGUARDS
I've seen them gazing into outer space, cleaning and contemplating their fingernails, and literally watching as two people doing back-stoke collided in a swim lane. (My frantic pointing did not help.) This is a life-saving JOB. They can be a bit slack here. That said, some of them are excellent. Some more on-the-job refresher training and supervision might be in order.
I'll continue to go here because there is no other 50m option within a 40 km radius of my home. I'd like to see this place cleaned up and set the standard for public pools instead of barely making the minimum standards. read more