Piscine du Cégep du Vieux-Montréal

I swam here in mid-July 2023, when it was 85ºF (29ºC) outside, and had a lane mostly to myself. The pool was divided into two 25-metre 6-lane tanks. The changing facilities are clean. The facility has coed lockers and showers, but private changing stalls, as other writers have mentioned. The water temperature was perfect. And it’s free !!!

Housed in what looks like a huge student center, the signage to find the pool is poor; ask and someone will point the way.

It's Free!

Open swim is busy when it starts at 5:30 PM (six or more to a lane, pretty well sorted out, unless you are a repeat 130 swimmer, then you'd best go later). It was much less crowded after 6:30 on the day I went.

It's quite clean for a free municipal pool. The pool temperature was more like 81º - 82º F. There's a bulkhead, so it was set up with 25m x 6 lanes in one half, with a little-person synchro team practicing in the other.

Warning: It's a co-ed locker room; you go into a small lockable cubicle, change, and then leave your stuff in a locker (regular locks will work); the toilets are in locked individual cubicles. There's a large, open shower room (I am presuming no suit removal in the shower, although I was alone, but no one was running around naked).

I contacted the Masters' team and they welcomed me to join. They are an LGBTQF team. "F" is for friends, so almost anyone could be eligible to participate. However, they could not accommodate me to join for water polo (not because I am too old, but because too many people were already playing).

This pool is 50m, but is often split into two 25m, 6 lane tanks. It is deep and well life guarded. There is no reception area and it is not well sign-posted. I really enjoyed this pool. It was free, has twelve 25m lanes, and is set in an interesting old building. I love deep pools and I loved the lack of chlorine. Watch out for the wall in the middle of the pool if it's in 25m format; it may be that I'm not used to swimming in split pools, but I very nearly didn't see it quite a few times while following the floor lines. .

My host told me it's just about the oldest pool in Montreal and that history shows. The changing facilities are dated, but you have showers, a drying area, large lockers, changing cubicles, benches and mirrors.

I like to swim at Piscine du Cégep du Vieux-Montreal because there are usually enough lanes for serious swimmers. I also like the fact that they are divided according to speed - although it always boggles the mind to see people who consider themselves fast cling to the wall gasping for air after one length! Having said that, it remains my favourite pool in town, mainly for the fact that almost every time I go, I can find a lane with less than 4 swimmers.