Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says she will be bringing forward a motion to make sure the city’s pools stay open during blistering hot days.
Chow told 680 NewsRadio on Monday that she’ll be bringing forward a motion “to ensure this doesn’t happen again,” after intermittent pool closures peeved and perplexed overheated Torontonians during record-breaking humidity on Sunday.
#BREAKING – On yesterday‘s intermittent Toronto pool closures, the Mayors office tells 680 NewsRadio that Mayor Chow will be bringing forward a motion “To ensure this doesn’t happen again”
— Richard Southern (@RichardCityNews) June 23, 2025
Toronto set a new record for June humidity, with the humidex soaring to a shockingly sticky 46.3, surpassing the previous all-time high of 45.6 set on June 30, 2018.
Despite the City’s own Heat Relief Strategy advising the public to use swimming pools to cool off, several pools were closed for periods during the height of Sunday’s heat.
The City says it was following guidance from the province to keep pool staff safe.
“Given provincial requirements related to heat and humidex (45C+) protocols, some outdoor pools had intermittent closures today to ensure staff health and safety. Staff remained on site to re-open pools as soon as possible,” the City said in a statement.
Premier Doug Ford, however, stressed that the province didn’t enforce the closures, and it was ultimately the City’s decision.
“No labour inspector came in and shut them down,” Ford told a local Toronto radio station on Monday.
The pool closures quickly became fodder for some city councillors.
“When the places people are told to seek relief from the heat, as part of the City’s ‘heat relief network’, are closed because it’s too hot outside, then it’s clearly time for a better plan,” Toronto-St. Paul’s Coun. Josh Matlow said on X.
” No one, including our homeless, should be left without somewhere to go and water to drink.”
Coun. Brad Bradford, one of Mayor Chow’s most vocal critics, went off the deep end.
“Pools need to be open for people to cool down on what might be the hottest day of the year,” he wrote on X. “Instead, staff were closing pools and turning people away.
“Totally unacceptable, and sadly, another example where you’re paying more and getting less.”
