When I tell people about my project to collect memories of the community outdoor pools in Vancouver, the first thing they mention is the shifts. They were 45-minute intervals during which kids were allowed in the pool; then it would be cleared and kids waiting outside would be allowed in. It was always chaotic as the kids in the pool grabbed their things and rush out to join the lineup, hoping to get back into the pool again. If they were lucky they'd get back in; if not, they were in for a 45-minute wait in the corral outside the pool with scores of other yelling, shivering kids. Lifeguards would count out the allowed number of kids as they rushed into the pool for another 45 minutes of swimming, diving and general mayhem. These shifts really stand out in the memories of the kids who played in the pool as well as the lifeguards who worked there. The other thing that people always mention, at least those who swam at Hastings pool, is that every time they drive by the old Hastings pool site, they're sad when they see the retaining wall, still standing, with the pool no longer there. This is what is left of the pool, the sturdy rock wall that sits at the top of the hill at Hastings and Renfrew.
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