Posts related to pools and swimming.
Posts are listed in chronological order based on date of posting – newest posts first.
Cleaning and maintaining the pools was an annual chore. The concrete pools were prone to cracking with the freeze/thaw cycle. For many years, the I-Pool had a crack all the way along the bottom. The pool leaked and required regular filling. Many pools required annual painting.
Pool decks were also prone to cracking. In the late 80’s the decks around the T-Learners were replaced with paving stones as they could no longer be maintained.
Used in the 1980s and 1990s.
The locker room was built to serve the I-Pool and I-Learners.
Original requirements document:
The design of the locker rooms underwent many revisions.
Final Design:
When it was decided that a new pool was required, the locker room was expanded to include more changing space and an office at the front entrance:
The original locker room had a single roof:
As part of the addition, a second roof layer was added which covered both the new and old sections:
Entrance to girls side of locker room:
Interior of Locker Room (mockup):
Behind the far wall was the towel room. This is the towel room exterior:
Sewage from the building drained into a leaching pit in front of the building:
Prior to construction of the I-Pool, other designs were considered.
The next design includes the unbuilt Recreation Hall:
The approach to the locker room:
Transferred from 8 mm film. Silent.
First season – 1961:
Locker Room Expansion:
The locker room was originally built for the I-Pool. It was enlarged when the T-Pool was built.
This is the locker room facing the I-Pool:
This is the other side of the locker room showing site prep prior to excavation for the T-Pool in 1961:
The T-Pool water was kept clear by a diatomaceous earth filter housed underground, below the T-Pool Locker Room. The filter had to be backwashed, generally twice daily, and a new application of diatomaceous earth applied each time.
Bert beside the newly constructed I-Pool in 1957. Photo is taken at the east end of the pool looking north. In the background, the future nurse’s office is on the right and the Peewee (Muppet) area is to the left.
Campers around the I-Pool on the first day of camp – 1957:
1959:
1960:
1966:
1988:
I-Pool, 1964:
By 1990, when these photos were taken, the pools were showing their age. Each year there were repairs required to the concrete structure. Since the pools were not covered during the winter they had to be drained and cleaned each spring. Most years the pools were also painted.
The photos below show the pools in spring 1990 and the work required to prepare them for the summer.
Swim Show, Parade, Peter Pan Play, Swimming
4K Enhanced Clip using Starlight (before & after):
A group of campers and staff being led in either a sing-song or ‘dry’ swim instruction. 1958.
After the T-Pool locker room was built, approximately 400 wire baskets were purchased to fit inside the lockers.
These baskets were initially used by Swim Club members in the 1960’s. After the Swim Club closed in the 70’s, some of these baskets continued to be used in the locker room by campers. A large number were stored away in the various swim buildings, but some found other uses around camp.
Many were used in Central Supply. Cabin requisitions were filled and placed in the baskets. Consellors would pick up the baskets and return them – along with any left-over materials – when they were finished their activites.
These are 2 of the actual baskets purchased in 1959:
Some baskets were used to store documents, like this one marked “SEPT 1976”:
This basket shows the original numbered badge. The baskets – made by Andrews Wire Works in Watford, Ontario – were originally bare metal. Some time after they were purchased, many were painted blue. This paint has almost fully worn off:
Forest Valley provided clean white towels to campers for each swim – twice daily. Keeping these towels clean was a major endeavour. Laundry trucks made twice-daily visits to pick up and return towels.
Towels were given to campers before each swim and were to be placed into steel baskets after use. (below)
The maintenance staff collected the towels from the various locations and placed them into large bins for pick-up.
Brighton and Admiral were the laundry services used during the 70s and 80s:
Original towel design. 1960’s:
Second towel design. 1970’s and 1980’s:
Third towel design. 1990’s:
A look at the T-Pool, I-Pool and I-Learners in 1988.
Forest Valley Day Camp 1956 - 1993 
