No top, no problem: All patrons allowed to be bare-chested at City of Edmonton pools
CBC
The City of Edmonton's amended policy for topless swimmers at city pools is raising eyebrows this week.
All patrons are allowed to swim and lounge around at City of Edmonton pools without a top on, regardless of their gender identity.
The policy, under the city's swimwear guidelines for pools, has been in place since June 2022 but it's not a widely advertised change.
Priya Bhasin-Singh, director of Edmonton's aquatics and community leisure centres, said the policy aligns with gender identity and expression protections found in the Alberta Human Rights Act.
"We believe our swimming guidelines must not discriminate on the basis of gender and not exclude anyone visiting a city facility," Bhasin-Singh said in a statement to CBC News.
Currently, the city operates 15 indoor pools and four outdoor pools.
The city started reviewing its policy on swimwear in 2019 to make sure it was in line with the act.
Previous guidelines for aquatic settings required women to wear tops while men were not required to, said Christopher Webster, a city communications advisor.
Coun. Erin Rutherford said she was asked by a constituent whether women were allowed to be at city pools without a top.
That was the springboard for a response from the city, she said.
"Legal reviewed it and because there is case law coming out of Ontario, felt that we could not stop people from doing that," Rutherford said.
"It has to be something that we don't advertise or I guess before today didn't advertise but also didn't discourage if it was happening."
Chelsea Scott, an associate lawyer with Taylor Janis LLP in Edmonton, said the policy seems to be a proactive move based on legal precedents in Ontario and British Columbia.
"I would say that it is the trend," Scott said in an interview Wednesday.