Pam McConnell Aquatic Centre — Kid-friendly Outdoor Play in Toronto, Ontario

What parents say

• Anna P

  2022-8-30

  this is one of the best facilities in the neighbourhood (if not the best), and it definitely sweetens the deal for those living in somehow sketchy Regent Park. Leisure and lane swimming are free! a little unusual thing are co-ed change rooms. showers are right by the pool, so you can only shower in your bathing suit. there are lockers but you need to bring your own lock. most of people just bring their bags to the pool area, where you can keep an eye on them for all the time. the atmosphere is rather relaxed. the slow lane swimming is everything but lane swimming. people stop in the middle or change directions or just hang out to chat. the life guards are not overly strict, so it is usually up to other swimmer to explain to those new to the facility what the lane swimming is, and that there are certain rules (like keeping the direction). anyways, it can be a pleasant experience, but just be patient with others. l eisure swim can be a bit wild, especially on weekends. people just walk in and out - again - the life guards are too busy doing their job I suppose to address people walking in to the pool area in street clothes, just hanging out or maybe waiting for their friends. the hot tub is still not available (as of August 2022) not sure when it's gonna be operational again. anyways, it's free so I can't complain. sometimes there is no soap in showers/washrooms, so you might wanna bring your own. a beautiful park outside - in summer you can just dry out there. the facility has hair driers though. PS> just read the recent reviews about thefts plaguing the place… maybe that explains all those people walking in and out the change rooms in street clothes… I wish there was more supervision. anyways, if you live near by just walk and don't bring any valuables with you. I keep my bag with clothes, a towel and shoes by the swimming pool, never gtt robbed yet (know the wood).

• Yaroslav Duda

  2024-5-9

  Great new pool, free entry. The changing rooms are clean. There is a swimming pool with paths and a children's pool. The water in the children's pool is warm. There are lifeguards. Before visiting, you should check the schedule, as certain hours are reserved for certain categories of visitors.

• Thys Wind

  Dropped in for a lap swim during a quick trip away. This pool is very nice and it’s also free. The lap swimming lanes were busy but everyone adhered to the circle swim rules. The water temp was a touch on the warm side but that was no problem when swimming at low intensity. The facility is clean and the staff is friendly.

• Brianne Cutler

  If you love swimming or have little ones who love to swim i highly recommend going here. Me and my kids have gone here quite often and we've never had a bad experience. The staff are always friendly, and the place is always so clean. They have 2 huge changing rooms with lots of individual changing rooms. They also have a beautiful hot tub which is where I spend most of my time. They also have a smaller pool for the little ones. If you've never been you definitely need to check it out

• Timothy Meerman

  I really enjoy going to the Pam McConnell Aquatic Centre. It’s a great facility overall — clean, well-maintained, and an important space for the community. The staff are generally friendly, and it’s clear that a lot of people rely on it. That said, the biggest issue is capacity. The facility simply doesn’t accommodate the volume of swimmers who attend. The lanes are often packed back-to-back, which makes it difficult to swim comfortably or safely. Lane management could also be improved. Instead of having one large “medium” lane, there should be two clearly separated medium-speed lanes. Right now, some swimmers in the medium lane are moving at a pace that would be more appropriate for the slow lane, which creates congestion and frustration for everyone. Lifeguards could be more proactive in monitoring and guiding swimmers into the appropriate lanes. Additionally, there should be more attention given to spacing in both the medium and fast lanes. Swimmers often end up too close to one another, which feels unsafe and makes it hard to maintain a steady rhythm. Overall, it’s a great community centre — it just needs better lane organization and, ideally, a larger space to properly serve the number of people who use it.