Douglas Snow Aquatic Centre (DSAC) — Kid-friendly Outdoor Play in Toronto, Ontario

What parents say

• C S

  Publicly funded services are unusable. If you can afford lessons anywhere else then opt for that. There is only one entrance into this building. You can’t get there from the front of the civic centre and will have to walk back to Yonge St to be able to walk around the civic centre as it is a multi level mess of dark corners semi paved paths with no path around it. To get here, walk all the way up to meridian arts centre and then look at every dip in the civic centre wall until you find the hidden entrance that from afar appears to be a truck loading bay due to its deep embedded door and dim yellow lighting. Also all the doors are locked so there’s no way to attend your classes. Today a couple stood at the desk for 15 minute straight to negotiate prices and I lost half my swimming lesson. So disappointed that the recreation booking site doesn’t give adequate information about hot to use the services I paid for.

• Kris Dang

  It’s a passable facility near my house and I’ve been going for years because of the convenience. However be warned this is NOT a civilized place. Some people floating/barely moving in the fast lane, others swim like they are being chased by a shark in the slow lane. There are big belly middle aged dudes standing in the middle of the slow lane blocking traffic for the already most chaotic lane. No etiquette, no class at all, and to make it worse the staff do not enforce any rules here. I also saw no people taking a shower with soap before getting in the pool, hell, they don’t even take a quick rinse. It’s DISGUSTING! Everything is 100x worse in the free community session on Sunday. Literally a thousand people in the pool dipping their unwashed armpits into the water.

• PERSIA GAS ASIA

  No Security or Management at the Pool I had a terrible experience at the pool last week. My belongings were stolen from the changing room, even though there were many people around. The staff took no responsibility and showed no understanding of the situation. There is absolutely no control or security in place. The men’s showers are always extremely dirty with a strong unpleasant smell, and there’s never any management present to address concerns. Everything feels completely disorganized — a very disappointing experience overall

• A Goudarzi

  I really enjoy using the pool and appreciate the staff who help keep everything running smoothly. I also want to highlight that the pool water is consistently clean, clear, and maintained at a very comfortable temperature—not too warm and not too cold, which makes swimming enjoyable. There are a few suggestions that could further improve the overall experience for all members: The shower area would benefit from more frequent and deeper cleaning, especially the walls, where there are visible black mold spots that need to be removed. Regular scrubbing and sanitizing would greatly improve hygiene. The locker room environment could also be cleaner. Many lockers have dirt on the floors, and the overall space would benefit from more consistent upkeep. Additionally, because the lockers are very close to the shower area, the floors are often wet, dirty, and unpleasant, so more frequent drying and cleaning throughout the day would make a big difference. It would also be helpful if members were reminded to take a proper full-body shower before entering the pool. As I see unfortunately some people skip the shower or only get slightly wet. Clear signage or occasional monitoring could encourage better hygiene. For lane swimming, it would be good to remind members to pay attention to lane speed and swimming etiquette, such as avoiding standing in lanes or entering a lane that doesn’t match their swimming ability. This would help prevent accidents and make the lanes more comfortable for everyone. One minor point is that the pool area feels slightly cold in colder weather. Slightly increasing the air temperature would make entering and exiting the pool more comfortable. While the facility has been around for some time, it’s still a great space. With these enhancements, it could become even more welcoming and enjoyable for everyone. Thank you for reviewing these suggestions

• Bayram AYYILDIZ

  2025-10-28

  This place was opened about 40 years ago, yet it’s still well-maintained and clean. Many students work here, making it a great career starting point for young people. The space is quite large and appealing to all kinds of visitors, and it’s conveniently located with easy access.