The public pool in Ontario, Ore. sits empty in 2019.
Photo courtesy of the Ontario Recreation District
Ontario broke a daily temperature record Tuesday when the Eastern Oregon city hit a high of 101 degrees. Despite the scorching heat, Ontario residents haven’t been able to swim in the city’s public pool for years. That could soon change.
The City of Ontario closed its public pool in 2013 amid a growing backlog of maintenance needs. The Ontario Recreation District has been leading the effort to reopen the pool since 2019. The district recently hit its $5.5 million fundraising goal.
The recreation district originally set a fundraising goal of $3.5 million, but construction bids came in significantly higher than that figure. The district upped its goal by $2 million and recently hit its target by securing $1 million from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.
Ontario Recreation District Director Andrew Maeda said public pools serve as an important social hub for rural communities and provide vital swimming skills. Ontario borders the Snake River, the site of several drownings across the Northwest in recent years. Maeda said the pool won’t just benefit recreation, but also public safety and health.
“We think we have generations of kids growing up who haven’t learned how to swim and that poses just a completely different health risk that no one ever wants to see,” he said.
The district expects pool construction to begin this fall. While Maeda doesn’t expect the pool to fully reopen by next summer, he anticipates it will host a few community events in 2026.
