The Labour Day weekend offers Edmontonians a final window to take advantage of the city’s outdoor pools.
A cynic would say that the forecast isn’t ideal for outdoor swimming and frolicking. Environment Canada calls for gloomy conditions and a high of just 16 C for Saturday. Rain is expected through Sunday and Monday, with highs of 18 C and 16 C, respectively.
But this is Edmonton. And, if the patterns from the summer show that we’re resilient when it comes to outdoor bathing.
The city of Edmonton reported Friday that outdoor pools have wlecomed 93,023 visitors so far in 2026, that’s up from a total of 78,707 in 2025. And that attendance rice came in a summer marked by record rainfalls. In June and July alone, Edmonton received more than 530 mm of rain, making it the wettest summer since records were kept.
Three pools got the majority of the traffic: Fred Broadstock, Mill Creek and Queen Elizabeth.
Fred Broadstock: 25,525
Mill Creek: 23,358
Queen Elizabeth: 22,761
Wîhkwêntôwin: 12,128
Borden Natural Swimming Pool: 9,251
Borden’s pool was built in 2017, the first natural pool of its kind in Canada. No chemicals are used in the water, unlike traditional swimming pools, where the smell of chlorine is part of the experience. The city budgeted $14.5 million to build the facility.
Mill Creek pool reopened in 2024 after a renovation with a budgeted cost of close to $7 million. It had been closed for nearly five years,
Borden, Fred Broadstock and Mill Creek will close after the final Labour Day frolicker exits the pool Monday. Wîhkwêntôwin and Queen Elizabeth will welcome swimmers till Sept. 12. Admissions are on a first-come, first-serve basis.
After the pools are shut, city staff inspect the pools and prepare them for the winter.
Related
Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don’t miss the news you need to know — add EdmontonJournal.com and EdmontonSun.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here.
You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.