Pool where children fell ill in Alberta had past citations

Kathy Le reports on the terrifying incident that made thirty children ill and sent eleven to the hospital after swimming in a hotel pool in Canmore, Alta.

Alberta health officials continue to investigate after dozens of children fell ill while swimming at a hotel pool in Canmore over the weekend, sending several to hospital.

In total, 30 children became sick, most of them members of a youth hockey team in town for a game. Paramedics were called to the Canmore Inn and Suites and 11 children were taken to hospital, including Melissa Erle’s three-year-old daughter and five-year-old son.

“People just started running out of the pool. Kids were vomiting in the hallway, and people were yelling, ‘Get out, get out,’” Erle said.

Erle said her children complained of throat, chest and back pain after the swim. She said hospital discharge papers listed the reason for their visit as chemical exposure, including an initial diagnosis referencing cyanide poisoning, something the hotel has firmly rejected.

In a statement, Canmore Inn and Suites said it is working with Alberta Health to determine what caused the illnesses and that there is no evidence of the presence of cyanide.

“Our pool systems are professionally operated and monitored by a licensed chemical management company, which is investigating the incident,” the statement said. “We have received guidance from Alberta Health, and ongoing testing and assessments have not identified any indication of deliberate contamination.”

The Town of Canmore said initial air testing conducted after the incident detected elevated levels of a chlorine-based substance.

“My husband said there was a sudden, strong chlorine smell,” Erle said.

Past citations

Public inspection records show the hotel pool has been cited in the past for issues related to chlorine levels, though officials have not linked those findings to Sunday’s incident.

An Alberta Health Services Environmental Health inspection report from December 2023 noted a “strong chloramine smell in the pool area” and documented a complaint about health effects, including stinging eyes, nose irritation and coughing. Inspectors said combined chlorine levels needed to be kept lower to prevent off-gassing into the air and recommended ensuring the ventilation system brought in enough fresh air while exhausting polluted air from the pool area.

The same report suggested installing ultraviolet treatment units in the pool’s circulation system to help reduce the formation of chloramines.

Several separate inspection reports from last year measured combined chlorine levels at 1.59 parts per million, noting the levels should be kept lower due to a detectable chloramine odour in the air.

Canmore Inn and Suites said that “as there is an ongoing internal review in coordination with the appropriate authorities, we are not providing interviews or additional comment beyond this written statement. This includes discussion of historical inspections or prior matters.”

Erle said she wants answers.

“I just want to make sure that they are held accountable,” she said.

Health officials have not provided a timeline for the completion of the investigation.