Beloved West Island ‘PPK’ pool to close after nearly six decades

First installed in 1964, the beloved 'PPK' pool in Pierrefonds on Montreal's West Island closed for good in 2023.

The Pierrefonds Park Pool, known locally as “PPK,” has been up and running since 1964. But now, after serving as a place to rest, swim and play for generations, it will close for good in a few short weeks.

“People have said it for years: ‘I heard PPK is closing,’” said pool president Jason Tremellen. “I even made a banner that said ‘Thanks for a great summer, we’ll see you next year.’ We won’t put that banner up this year.”

The lease between PPK and the borough has come to an end, and the pool would need major upgrades to keep it going long term. The borough says the decision to close was not an easy one to make.

“This pool, in order for us to have brought it up to today’s standards, would have been extremely difficult,” said Pierrefonds-Roxboro Mayor Jim Beis.

“Not only financially,” he added, “but also we wouldn’t have been able to do that, because it sits on a 0-20 flood plain.”

For many residents, PPK is not just a pool -- it’s a community. It’s a place where children can make new friends and learn new skills, like how to swim, or how to be a lifeguard.

“It’s a big part of our lives. We have a lot of fun here, and the kids gather together. They make friends, we become friends as families. For me, as a parent, I know this is a safe place for my kid,” said Lesley Steeves, a member of the pool.

PPK also looks different from other modern pools, because of its shape -- it’s not rectangular, nor does it measure the standard 25 metres.

“We don’t have the most modern facilities,” said Tremellen. “The pool is a little different in shape, and there’s a story there for another time, I guess. It’s almost like time stood still here.”

“It’s almost like a time capsule where there were no electronics, there were no kids on devices. Kids are here, but they’re playing,” he added.

Despite having a blast all summer, lifeguards, parents and children know the end is near.

“In previous years, it was always so easy to be like, ‘Okay, next summer we’re going to do this again,’ it was so fun – ‘Next summer we’ll do it this way,’” said lifeguard Hannah Beaucage.

The pool will host a goodbye party on Aug. 19 for one final splash and a chance to thank everyone who made PPK special. There’s also a movie night planned the night before, and an afterparty on Aug. 20.

“It’s 59 years of probably hundreds, maybe even thousands, of people who worked to build this place and to make it what it is,” said Temellen.