CCRA SWIMMING POOL
GENERAL
Here at Canterbury Common, we are very fortunate to have a beautiful outdoor pool with a lovely deck area that is furnished with comfortable chairs and tables – all for the enjoyment of our residents and their families and guests. Our pool is managed and maintained by a large group of dedicated volunteers, at a considerable cost savings for the residents.
POOL HOURS
The pool hours are posted on the outside of the pool fence. The schedule indicates the times allocated for Lane Swim, Adult Only, Open Swim and Aqua-Fit. The pool is usually opened at the end of May and closed mid-September. The CCRA Bulletin and email blasts provide updates on when the pool will open, close and any changes in terms of schedule, procedures and restrictions (related to health and safety or other issues that may arise from time to time).
Click here to view the current Pool schedule
USE OF THE POOL
As the warm days of summer set in, we all know that a cool dip in a nearby swimming pool can be a welcome treat. Many Canterbury Common residents are former pool owners and will recall the advantages of having a pool at home. Being able to share a pool at The Centre is the next best thing and although the pool is for our exclusive use (families and guests included), it is not a private pool and is, in fact, considered a Class B Public Pool as defined by the Health Protection & Promotion Act of Ontario. The Act states that “a pool situated and for use by the residents and guests of five or more single family private residences shall be considered a Class B Public Pool and once defined as such by the Province the classification will never change”.
With this classification comes all the Provincial and Municipal regulations to which we must adhere. For example, many will agree that the signage posted about the pool area seems excessive, but without all of it in place, permission to open the pool would not be given by the Regional Municipality of Durham. In addition, our pool is subject to unannounced inspections by the Durham Health Department and any failure to meet requirements could result in an immediate order for closure of the pool.
Safety equipment and water quality are of extreme importance. Thanks to all of our dedicated volunteers, the monitoring of chlorine, pH and alkalinity levels takes place every four hours and the test readings and attendance are recorded, as required by law.
A telephone for 911 emergency calls is available inside the pool area on the outside wall next to the lower-level entry door to The Centre. There is a First Aid kit on the wall inside that door, along with an Emergency Response Procedures binder, which includes emergency contact information. The gate in the fence around the pool is kept closed and locked at all times; it has a number padlock and the code to open the gate is 127.
Click here to view the document “Procedures for using the pool”
WHY SO MANY RULES?
The signage requirements, pool water testing, safety equipment, protocols and the usage rules (e.g. no glass containers or food at the pool, mandatory use of ‘swim ups’ for toddlers, etc.) are all necessary to ensure that, as home owners, we provide a pool that is healthy and safe for use by young and old alike. As users of the pool, we have a responsibility to others to observe the posted regulations and to do our best to respect them.
SHOUT-OUT TO OUR VOLUNTEERS
Our many dedicated volunteers do an excellent job – navigating and complying with the many statutory rules and regulations, maintaining all the pool equipment, doing the required pool water testing and opening and closing the pool on a daily basis. Thanks to them we are able to enjoy this lovely pool. If you see one of them testing the pool water, taking the pool blanket off or checking the equipment, please stop to say ‘Thank you.’
ANY QUESTIONS?
If you have any questions or comments about the pool, please feel free to reach out to the Pool Committee at pool@canterburycommon.ca.
Last updated May 26, 2025