The City of London is keeping six wading pools closed, likely for the whole season, because it doesn't have enough lifeguards.
City officials blame a national shortage of qualified lifeguards for recruiters being unable to find enough of them to work in the Forest City this season. They say they stepped up recruitment efforts but still couldn't hire a sufficient number of qualified people with complete police checks to fill all of the positions available this summer.
Indoor and outdoor pools will continue to be fully staffed, but six wading pools are closed and not expected to reopen this summer. The six sites were selected because of their close proximity to other wading pools and spray pads. The closed sites are:
- Byron
- Meredith
- Murray
- Smith
- McMahen
- University Heights
Qualified lifeguards can still apply to City Hall for positions that haven't been filled. They will need to complete a police background check.