Pool fence installers slammed as deadline for Quebec safety changes approaches

Pool fence installers in Quebec are slammed as the safety deadline approaches.

Quebec’s Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act — which aims to prevent children from drowning — now applies to all pools, regardless of when they were installed.

Owners have until Sept. 30 to make necessary adjustments, which vary depending on the pool type, or face fines.

Ian Simard has been installing pool fences for 18 years. He says demand ahead of the deadline is so high he might have to work seven days a week.

“This is really the first time that this business has doubled and tripled this year,” he told CTV News.

In-ground pools must be surrounded by a fence at least 1.2 metres in height. It can’t have parts that allow it to be climbed, and gates must be self-closing and self-locking.

Clôture Enfant Sécure president Mathieu Lalonde says he gets around 100 calls from panicked pool owners every day.

“They are a bit nervous about the deadline, but we assure them that we have enough material and we’re going to work hard to serve them,” said Lalonde.

He says the longest wait time for his company is around a month and a half, so people have time to make the necessary changes.

• READ MORE: Is your pool up to code? Here’s a review of Quebec’s rules

That’s good news for pool owners like Lori-Ann Legault.

Legault and her husband have a tough decision ahead of them. They have enjoyed the above-ground pool in their Châteauguay backyard for the last 28 years.

“It’s our oasis,” she said.

Now the couple must decide whether they will get rid of it or make costly changes to conform to provincial rules.

“To put out thousands of dollars … wasn’t at the top of our wish list of things to do. We would prefer to keep that money in the bank,” said Legault.

Legault, her husband and daughter just remodeled the back deck by themselves three years ago. Provincial rules would force the family to completely fence off her deck, as to not allow easy entrance to the pool.

They would also have to move electrical equipment that children could climb at least one meter away from the pool.

“Honestly, I’m discouraged I wouldn’t really know where to start,” Legault said.

When the regulations come into effect this fall, anyone who doesn’t abide by the rules is subject to a fine of upwards of $700 for the first offence.