Edmonton’s newest and most unique pool opened Wednesday to much fanfare.
The Borden Natural Swimming Pool, Canada’s first public, man-made natural swimming pool, welcomed hundreds of Edmontonians for its grand opening.
Gracie and her grandmother were first in line, arriving at 10:30 a.m. to make sure they got chairs.
The $14.4-million pool uses layers of rocks, regeneration basins with plants and animal life, and the sun’s UV rays to clean the water, instead of salt or chlorine.
“Borden Natural Swimming Pool marks another important first for Edmonton and for Canada,” Mayor Don Iveson said in a press release. “Not only is it an engineering marvel, but it achieves a vision to honor(sic) Borden Park’s legacy as a natural recreation site and offers a unique experience that will draw Edmontonians from across the city.”
Borden pool is surrounded by sand, a lounge area. There’s also a beach volleyball court.
Alberta Health will monitor the water once a week to make sure the natural filtration system is working.
“If we aren’t able to maintain the balance in the pool, the sad reality would be that we might have to shut it down,” Cyndi Schlosser, the facility manager, told CTV News.
Admission is free and the pool will remain open for the rest of the summer.
With files from Shanelle Kaul
