No Early Opening For the Outdoor Pool - Unless You Are A Duck

“I’m super pumped we are getting the (Phyllis Dewar) outdoor pool open,” Scott Osmachenko, recreation services manager for the City of Moose Jaw said on Monday morning.

Osmachenko made the comments as part of a media scrum following the public declaration of June as Recreation and Parks month.

The June 14th opening of the Phyllis Dewar Outdoor Pool is set in stone for June 14th unless you are a duck.

For now a pair of mallard ducks have the full enjoyment of the Phyllis Dewar outdoor pool - MJ Independent photo

Asked by MJ Independent if it was a different duck about the pool opening sooner than the planned June 14th opening to match the spray parks’ openings he said it was.

“That’s a different duck, that takes awhile to get together…we will stay with June 14th for the outdoor pool,” Osmachenko said.

The main reasons why the outdoor pool cannot open early to the general public - ducks are not affected - is it takes time to get the chemical level and balance of the pool plus there is the need to have staff such as lifeguards in place.

The Kinsmen Sportsplex’s indoor pool regularly closes for a month for maintenance and the next day the outdoor pool opens with many of the staff at the indoor pool heading over to work at the outdoor pool.

The outdoor pool was closed last year as a cost-saving measure by the City during the COVID - 19 pandemic.