Beacon Hill Pool in Beaconsfield adds new equipment to make swimming more accessible

Beacon Hill Community Pool in Beaconsfield has been upgraded with new accessibility features, including a lift that allows people with limited mobility to enter the water safely.

Beacon Hill Community Pool in Beaconsfield has been upgraded with new accessibility features, including a lift that allows people with limited mobility to enter the water safely. “I think it’s a wonderful addition to the swimming pool,” said resident and pool member Gilles Chalifour. “This community pool has ladders and even a staircase to help swimmers get in and out, but the lift is new.

The ladder can be tricky if you’ve got a sore back; you can have a pinched nerve or sciatica.” Chalifour uses the new lift machine, which is guided by a lifeguard and allows a seated swimmer to be safely lowered into the water. “In conjunction with ramps into the washrooms, new accessible power doors, accessible toilets and sinks, that really was an effort to ensure that everybody, no matter what their level of mobility, can use the pool and access all of our programming,” said Beacon Hill pool president Dave Whipps.

The facility took advantage of the Government of Canada’s Enabling Accessibility Fund to help cover the cost of the upgrades. “All of the upgrades together were just under $100,000 and 75 per cent of that is covered by the federal government,” he explained, adding that the City of Beaconsfield paid the balance.