The development surrounding all residential swimming pools must comply with the residential swimming pool safety regulations. The goal: to prevent a young child who has escaped the surveillance of an adult drowning.
The regulations specify, among other things, that all pools must be bordered by a fence, except the earth and removable models with a height of at least 1.2 meters and 1.4 meters respectively. The doors that give access to it must also close and lock themselves automatically.
The owners who do not secure the surroundings of their swimming pool are liable to a fine ranging from $ 500 to $ 700. If they do not make the necessary fixes within the prescribed deadlines, they will have to pay another penalty varying between $ 700 and 1000.
The city of Gatineau plans to inflict a fine as soon as a breach of the regulations will be observed. “When an offense in the regulations are noted, an offense notice will be sent to the owner, asking him to comply within a specific time. This period may be relatively short if the situation has a security issue, ”says the communications department of the Outaouais municipality.
The same goes for the municipalities of Longueuil and Sherbrooke.
Fines on a case -by -case basis
Before distributing fines, the city of Laval plans to consider several criteria, for example the nature of the offense and the collaboration of the owner.
“However, it is likely that the first fines are ⦋Données⦌ within 12 months on September 30, 2025,” said Jonathan Lévesque, public affairs advisor in the city of Laval.
“A collaboration approach”
The city of Trois-Rivières will be flexible. “We recommend a first approach to collaboration with faulty owners before giving a report of offense. Thus, it is possible that the first reports of an offense were given in 2026, “said his spokesperson, Guillaume Cholette-Janson.
Such a strategy will also be adopted by the City of Saguenay. “When non-conformity is observed, the observation is never the first step,” explains Dominic Arseneau, advisor to media and digital relations. Municipal employees will first give two notices of non-compliance before putting an offense report.
In Montreal, each district will decide its strategy. That of Ville-Marie, which is directed by the mayor Valérie Plante, plans to give observations of offense from “the summer season of 2026”, according to Marc-Antoine Bélanger, relationsist in the city of Montreal.
Note: the regulations’ application guide specifies that municipalities can “provide more severe sanctions” than those indicated in the law. Among the cities contacted by protecting yourself, none was thinking of inflicting higher fines.
Blitz d’informations
For several months, municipalities have multiplied initiatives to notify the pool owners of the new safety rules. They publish information on their website and social networks as well as in their newsletters and their municipal bulletins. Local media, whether regional radios and neighborhood newspapers are also used.
The city of Gatineau has also stuck posters in stores that sell items for swimming pools while the city of Sherbrooke has distributed door posters to owners who have not yet complied with the regulations. The city of Laval, for its part, has produced a video to explain certain security requirements.
Field resources
To this are added teams in the field that assess the developments. In Longueuil, for example, urban planning technicians and inspectors answer people’s questions. “Two patrollers inspect the swimming pools in the territory, meet the owners, advise them, send an opinion and fill out a register,” said the City of Longueuil communications department.
Good to know: some municipalities require their citizens to require a permit to set up a fence around a swimming pool; They can thus ensure that the enclosure complies with the regulations. This is among others the case of Gatineau, Laval and Longueuil. “Each situation is unique,” pleads the city of Gatineau.
Materials in stock?
The Quebec Hardware Association of Hardware and Construction Materials (AQMAT) indicates that its members have materials in stock for the installation of a fence around a swimming pool.
If necessary, these retailers command them and receive them in the space of two to three weeks. “Any renovation center can find what his client needs in order to meet the deadline of September 30,” reports Richard Darveau, president of the AQMAT, in his blog.
Read also: The quasi-noyades are numerous, watch the children!
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