Access to swimming pools established before November 1, 2010 ends

To reduce the risk of young children drowning, Quebec on Thursday announced tougher regulations regarding the safety of residential swimming pools that will now apply to all swimming pools, regardless of when they were installed.

Effective July 1, 2021, new installations must comply with the following rules, among others:

– Chain link fences should be installed with a mesh size of more than 30 mm;

– No structure or any static equipment likely to be used to climb the pool wall or fence should be installed within one meter of the latter;

– Swimming pools equipped with a diving board should contain a pool of water in a minimum quantity to prevent cervical spinal cord injuries associated with diving accidents.

Swimming pools built before November 1, 2010, and which originally benefited from a vested right, will have until July 1, 2023, to comply with the regulations. The acquired right will completely disappear after this date.

Remember that a municipality permit is required to install a swimming pool or to build a fence, as well as a deck or terrace that gives access to the pool. Municipalities can also adopt rules that are stricter than those in the regulation.