Swimming

Birdseye Pool is an outdoor heated aquatic facility with a lap and leisure pool open from June to August each summer. The Township of Scugog offers affordable private swimming lessons at Birdseye Pool lead by qualified water safety instructors. Other programs include aquafit, public swim, lane swim, social swim, and more to enjoy.

To help inform you about our commitment to ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience at Birdseye Pool, we are working with the public health departments and the Lifesaving Society to follow their recommendations and guidelines that support the well-being of all patrons. For more information visit Durham Region Health Department or the Lifesaving Society.

Pool Rules

Those with open sores or communicable diseases will not be admitted into the pool, unless a medical doctor’s certificate is presented.
All participants using the pool/wading pool must change from street clothes to a swimsuit and/or clean clothing brought to the facility for the purpose of swimming. Participants may choose to wear t-shirts, thin long-sleeve shirts, shorts or tight-fitting leggings. Clothing worn in the pool must permit individuals to participate safely in programs. Head covering must be tight fitting and ensure the safety of the participant.
- Undergarments, cut-offs, jeans and loose clothing are not permitted in the pool.
- Shoes must be removed before entering the shower and pool area.
- For swimmers who are not toilet-trained, specially designed-swim diapers are required.
- Patrons wearing street clothes are only permitted to watch from the viewing area.
Please do not bring food and/or beverages on the pool deck.
Our staff are trained to follow specific procedures in the event of a pool fouling. On occasion, extended pool closures may be necessary.
The use of all cell phones and picture-taking equipment is prohibited in all change rooms, washrooms and on pool deck. We do ask that anyone wishing to take pictures obtain permission from the Supervisor on duty. This is to respect the privacy and safety of all patrons.
A season’s pass will permit patrons to swim during scheduled public swimming times during the week and on weekends.
Patrons are not permitted in the pools without a certified lifeguard on duty.
All patrons must shower before entering the pool.
Swim hours may be changed due to special events, maintenance or other unforeseen circumstances. Changes to the schedule will be posted one week prior to the change, wherever possible. Unscheduled service disruptions can be found online at www.scugog.ca/news or by contacting any of our recreation facilities.
The pool will remain open on rainy days, unless: thunder and/or lighting is evident; or, the downpour is so heavy, that the black dot on the bottom of the pool is not visible. If either of the above two points are present, the pool must be closed immediately. It may re-open after a 20-minute interval void of these two conditions, or upon the discretion of the Supervisor on duty. In the event of the pool being fouled, the pool will be cleared immediately. The required maintenance for fouled pools will be completed.
If any drop-in or registered swim program is cancelled due to inclement weather/pool fouling within 20 minutes of the start time, an account credit for the admission price will be offered.
If any drop-in or registered swim program is cancelled due to inclement weather/pool fouling after 20 minutes of use from the start time, no refunds/account credit will be given.
If swim lessons are cancelled due to inclement weather, or a fouled pool, a make-up class will be offered. If we cannot find a make-up day/time an account credit will be offered.

Admission Standards for Public Pools

Ages 0-5 years: Must always be accompanied by an adult of at least 14 years of age. This adult is responsible for the direct supervision of the child(ren) in their care and must remain within an arms reach of the child(ren) both in and out of the water. Ratio 2:1.

Ages 6-9 years (did not pass the swim test): Must always be accompanied by an adult of at least 14 years of age. This adult is responsible for the direct supervision of the child(ren) in their care and must remain within an arms reach of the child(ren) both in and out of the water. Ratio 4:1.

Ages 6-9 years (passed the swim test): Must always be accompanied by an adult of at least 14 years of age. The supervising adult must remain water for ages 6-7 years or in the facility for ages 8-9 years. May swim in the shallow and deep end of the pool.

Ages 10+ years: No supervision required. May swim in the shallow end of the pool. A facility swim test is required to swim in the deep end. Swimming with a buddy is strongly encouraged.

What is the swim test? To successfully pass the swim test, individuals must swim continuously on their front, two (2) widths of the pool in a comfortable manner. Face/head must submerge and body must stay horizontal during the test. Children may be required to retake a swim test at any time during their visit at the discretion of the lifeguard.

Pool Rentals

Private Pool Bookings

You can rent the pool for your family, non-profit group, birthday party or event. Please be sure to check the admission standards to know the necessary ratios for child supervision. The cost includes lifeguard supervision at a ratio of one guard to every 25 swimmers. Private bookings are available Mondays from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m.

Group Pool Bookings

A shared pool booking for child care and camp programs. The pool is shared with other organizations. Please be sure to check the admission standards to know the necessary ratios for child supervision. Available from 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm on weekdays.

Leisure Swim Descriptions and Fees (Cash Only)

Public Swim

Open swim for all age groups and swimming abilities.

(taxes included)

Child 4-17 yrs: $3.50
Adult 18-54 yrs: $5.00
Senior 55+ yrs: $3.50
Children 3 years and under are free.

Social Swim (45+)

This program is designed for adults 45+ to join others in the pool for a fun leisurely swim.

(taxes included)

Adult 18-54 yrs: $5.00
Senior 55+ yrs: $3.50

Lane Swim

A swim designed for those who are 15 years of age or older to exercise or improve stroke development by swimming up and down the lanes of the lap pool.

(taxes included)

Child 4-17 yrs: $3.50
Adult 18-54 yrs: $5.00
Senior 55+ yrs: $3.50

Get a Seasons Pass this Summer

Swim Seasons Pass

A swim seasons pass at Birdseye Pool includes admission to public swim, lane swim and social swim for the summer season from mid-June to the end of August. The swim seasons pass does not include Aquafit. A separate pass is required for this program.

Child (0-17 years) Seasons Pass: $95

Adult (18-54 years) Seasons Pass: $127.25

Senior (55+) Seasons Pass: $82.50

Family (3 children, 2 adults) Seasons Pass: $253.50

Please note that seasons passes must be purchased at the Scugog Community Recreation Centre or online. HST is included in the listed prices above.

Aquafit Seasons Pass

An aquafit seasons pass at Birdseye Pool includes admission to our aquafit programs for the summer season from the start of July to the end of August.

Aquafit Seasons Pass: $228.85

Please note that seasons passes must be purchased at the Scugog Community Recreation Centre or online. HST is included in the listed prices above.

Sponsor a Free Public Swim

Sponsorship Information

Overview

Give back to the community by sponsoring a Free Swim at Birdseye Pool this summer. By sponsoring a free swim this summer, your contribution will help increase access to local recreation opportunities, promote physical activity, and support community connection among residents of all ages.

Benefits of Sponsorship

By sponsoring Free Public Swim, your business can:

Help increase access to recreation opportunities.
Help provide a no-cost recreation opportunity for low-income families and individuals in the community.
Connect your business with a local wellness activity that benefits the community.
Build positive relationships with community members by supporting a local initiative.
Increase brand visibility.

Brand Visibility

Your business will get their name/logo on our swim schedule that is available in hard copies at the pool as well as online in our Leisure and Activity Guide. Your name/logo will be circulated in media posts during the month of the free swim which could include social media posts, a news item on the Township of Scugog website, and/or part of the bulletin we put in the newspaper (depending on available space). Sponsors are also welcome to hang a banner at the pool on the day of their sponsored swim.

Cost to Sponsor

Cost per hour: $187.50 (taxes included)

Available Times

The following dates and times are available to sponsor for the summer of 2025.

June 15 to 27, 2025

Monday to Friday from 6:00-8:00 p.m.

June 28 to August 24, 2025

Monday to Friday from 12:00-2:00 p.m. and 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Saturday and Sundays from 1:00-7:00 p.m.

We invite you to partner with us to make Free Public Swims a memorable experience for all. If you have any questions or would like to discuss sponsorship further, please contact us at recreation@scugog.ca.

Swim Lessons

Private Swim Lessons (3 years and up)

The Township of Scugog offers private Lifesaving Society Swim for Life lessons for preschoolers, children, youth, and adults. We suggest that participants register in a minimum of 5 to 10 lessons. Preschool levels and swimmer levels 1-3 are recommended to register in a maximum of one 30 minute lesson per day. Swimmer levels 4 to 6 are recommended to register for 2 consecutive 30 minute lessons for one full hour of instruction per day.

When registering for swim lessons, you will register for each lesson separately. Each lesson is an individual registration.

Parent and Tot Lessons (4 months to 3 years)

Spend quality time with your child while you both have fun and learn and socialize. Through structured in-water interaction between parent and child, we stress the importance of play in developing water-positive attitudes and skills. Activities and progressions are based on child development. Please register in the level appropriate for your child’s age.

Swim Level Descriptions

When registering for swim lessons, you will be asked what level the participant is in. Please read the level descriptions below as a guideline to which level the participant is in. If unsure select “assess” when registering and the swim instructor will assess the participants swim level at their first lesson.

Preschool 1

These preschoolers will have fun learning to get in and out of the water. We’ll help them jump into chest deep water. They’ll float and glide on their front and back and learn to get their faces wet and blow bubbles underwater.

Preschool 2

These preschoolers learn to jump into chest deep water by themselves, and get in and out wearing a lifejacket. They’ll submerge and exhale underwater. Wearing a lifejacket they’ll glide on their front and back.

Preschool 3

These youngsters will try both jumping and a sideways entry into deep water while wearing a lifejacket. They’ll recover objects from the bottom in waist-deep water. They’ll work on kicking and gliding through the water on their front and back.

Preschool 4

Advanced preschoolers will learn to do solo jumps into deeper water and get out by themselves. They’ll do sideways entries and open their eyes underwater. They’ll master a short swim on their front wearing a lifejacket and gliding and kicking on their side.

Preschool 5

These youngsters get more adventuresome with a forward roll entry wearing a lifejacket and treading water for 10 sec. They’ll work on front and back crawl swims for 5m, interval training, and get a giggle out of whip kick.

Swimmer 1

These beginners will become comfortable jumping into water with and without a lifejacket. They’ll learn to open their eyes, exhale, and hold their breath underwater. They’ll work on floats, glides, and kicking through the water on their front and back.

Swimmer 2

These advanced beginners will jump into deeper water and learn to be comfortable falling sideways into the water wearing a lifejacket. They’ll be able to support themselves at the surface without an aid, learn whip kick, swim 10m on their front and back, and be introduced to flutter kick interval training 4 x 5m.

Swimmer 3

These junior swimmers will dive and do in-water front somersaults and handstands. They’ll work on 15m of front crawl, back crawl, and 10m of whip kick. Flutter kick interval training increases to 4 x 15m.

Swimmer 4

These intermediate swimmers will swim 5m underwater and lengths of front, back crawl, whip kick, and breaststroke arms with breathing. Their new bag of tricks includes the completion of the Canadian Swim to Survive® Standard. They’ll cap it all off with front crawl sprints over 25m and 4 x 25m front or back crawl interval training.

Swimmer 5

These swimmers will master shallow dives, cannonball entries, eggbeater kicks, and in-water backward somersaults. They’ll refine their front and back crawl over 50m swims of each, and breaststroke over 25m. Then they’ll pick up the pace in 25m sprints and two interval training bouts: 4 x 50m front or back crawl and 4 x 15m breaststroke.

Swimmer 6

These advanced swimmers will rise to the challenge of sophisticated aquatic skills including stride entries, compact jumps, and lifesaving kicks like eggbeater and scissor kick. They’ll develop strength and power in head-up breast stroke sprints over 25m. They’ll easily swim lengths of front crawl, back crawl, and breaststroke; and they’ll complain about the 300m workout.

Rookie Patrol

Swimmers continue stroke development with 50m swims of front crawl, back crawl, and breaststroke. Lifesaving sport skills include a 25m obstacle swim and 15m object carry. First aid focuses on assessment of conscious victims, contacting EMS, and treatment for bleeding. Fitness improves in 350m workouts and 100m timed swims.

Ranger Patrol

Swimmers develop better strokes over 75m swims of each stroke. They tackle lifesaving sport skills in a lifesaving medley, timed object support, and rescue with a buoyant aid. First aid focuses on assessment of unconscious victims, treatment of victims in shock, and obstructed airway procedures. Skill drills develop a strong lifesaving foundation.

Star Patrol

Swimmers are challenged with 600m workouts, 300m timed swims, and a 25m object carry. Strokes are refined over 100m swims. First aid focuses on treatment of bone or joint injuries and respiratory emergencies including asthma and allergic reactions. Lifesaving skills include defence methods, victim removals, rolling over and supporting a victim face up in shallow water.

Fitness Swimmer

No matter what your age, Fitness Swimmer lets you set your own goals to improve overall physical fitness. Fitness Swimmer is a structured approach based on accepted training principles and practices including interval training, sprints, and distance swims. A great lesson for youth in-between swimmer levels and leadership.

Adult 1, 2, & 3

Learn to swim in an adult only environment with Swim for Life adult lessons. Instructors will cater the lesson to you depending on skill level. Start with the basics of getting comfortable in the chest deep water or improve your stroke development and fitness.