Regina's Maple Leaf pool reopens after 2 years

Regina's Maple Leaf pool reopened this week after having been closed for two years.

"Everyone is smiling and so happy," said Heather Cameron, who surprised her son by taking him swimmingafter he came home from school."It's just a really special thing happening here."

The pool has been in the city's Heritage neighbourhood for more than 70 years. The city had planned to shut the pool down in 2018 because of safety concerns. This led to protests and rallies. Advocates said the pool, which offers free admission, is an easily available outlet for summer activitiesfor many low income families.

"This is the result of a community coming around and wanting this to happen," said Josh Campbell, who took his kids out for a swim on the day of the reopening.

Construction on the pool began in March last year, with renovations costing $5.3 million.

The new L-shaped pool featuresa zero-depthentry, making it more accessible for people with mobility issues. The change rooms and washrooms also have an accessible lift.

Locals in the area said they missed the pool while it was closed.

"Summer just felt kind of empty, like it just didn't feel like summer," said Laura Forrester.

She said she lives two blocks away and that she and her family didn't go swimming anywhere else.

"We've definitely missed it while it was gone," she said. "It feels pretty awesome to have it back."

An official grand opening ceremony for the pool will happen on June 22.