Cool summer has fewer taking plunge at outdoor pools

Calgarys ongoing stretch of lousy weather is taking a financial toll on outdoor swimming pools.

July is supposed to be when the pools earn their keep, but cooler temperatures and blustery rain storms are keeping people away.

The pools offer swimming lessons and rent-out their facilities for birthday parties to stay afloat, said Roger Leach, who speaks for the Calgary Outdoor Swimming Pools Association.

Chris Zacharias, a lifeguard at the Mount Pleasant pool, said it's been pretty quiet.

"We haven't had a great day above 22 C in probably two weeks. It just means that we're not going to have people coming into the pool," he said.

It wont be clear until the fall how bad a season it was, Leach said.

Flood damage at the Stanley Park pool made matters worse. The newly-renovated facility was open for just four days when Junes flooding hit. It had to stay closed for the season to undergo major repairs.

But 11-year-old Brock Ross-ODonnell isnt too bothered by the bad weather. He swims even when it rains.

"It's warm in the pool. It's just that you don't like to get out, that's how fun it is," he said.