All Quebec pool owners must follow new safety rules – if they can find the supplies
Some new rules for backyard pools are coming into effect in Quebec – but with huge demand, they may be tough to implement right away.
Last month, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing determined that all pools, regardless of when they were installed, will have follow new safety guidelines.
The regulation requires, among other things, that a pool be enclosed by a fence, and any access door must be equipped with a safety device that automatically closes and locks. Any adjacent deck must be equipped with an enclosure and door to protect access.
Until now, pools built before Nov. 1, 2010 were grandfathered in and did not have to be protected, provided they were inside a fence-in yard.
“The principle is we need to control the accessibility for the backyard pool. It doesn’t matter what kind of backyard pool you have,” said Reynald Hawkins of the Quebec Lifesaving Society.
The government announced the change following recommendations by several coroners who note that 85 per cent of drowning deaths in the province were unsupervised children and toddlers who gained access to a pool.
“If we want to see no deaths in the backyard pools, particularly with the toddlers, we should control the accessibility,” said Hawkins.
Owners of these pools will have until July 1, 2023 to comply with the bylaw – necessary, perhaps, because the demand for pools and pool supplies is through the roof.
“Right now we are completely booked for the 2021 season, we are not taking any orders anymore,” said Club Piscine owner Matthew Lemire.
With all the demand for pools, there’s a shortage of landscapers and fence parts -- and if you can find them, the cost has never been higher.
“Especially in the last two years, there’s been a big increase in metal, in glass cost too, so it’s upped the cost a lot more than it used to before,” said Anthony Piambelli of Prime Services landscaping company.
Installing a new fence will cost between $4,000 and $12,000 said Piambelli.
Many clients may not be happy to have that expense, he said, adding that he reminds clients that it’s about the safety of all users.
“It’s not about who lives at your home, it’s when you have guests over or a neighbour’s kid or whatnot come in and jump over and falls in. It takes one minute and there goes someone’s life,” he said.
Lemire agrees that safety is paramount.
“At the end of the day, we’re talking about security. If you look at the new pools built today, we are putting a big emphasis on security. It is for the better,” he said. “In the long run, it is for the better.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Prince William says wife Kate is 'doing well'
Prince William said on Friday his wife Kate was 'doing well' in a rare public comment about the Princess of Wales as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
Canadian Blood Services apologizes to LGBTQ2S+ community for discriminatory blood donation policy
Canada's longstanding blood donation policy that prevented sexually active men who have sex with men and some trans people from donating blood and plasma was harmful and discriminatory, Canadian Blood Services acknowledged on Friday, in issuing an apology to the LGBTQ2S+ community.
BREAKING 'Just wait': Toronto mayor hints that WNBA team is coming to the city amid multiple reports
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says that she is hopeful an announcement could be made soon amid multiple reports that a WNBA team is coming to Toronto in 2026.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
Ontario coroner to investigate death of man who suffered cardiac arrest while waiting in ER
A provincial coroner will be investigating the death of 68-year-old David Lippert, who suffered a cardiac arrest while waiting in a crowded emergency room in Kitchener, Ont.
'Irate male' assaulted Newfoundland officers with block of cheese, police say
Police in Newfoundland say patrol officers were assaulted Thursday by a "very irate male" wielding a block of cheese.
Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.