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| - I think I'm going to tear up writing this. Going here is a walk down memory lane. I've been here since I was a tot. First learned how to float from my dad during "Leisure Swim." Then the Aquaquest classes that were each kid's rite of passage. At one point it became cool to bike here, hang out, and hit up the awesome yellow big kids' slide. Then you stopped coming as a teenager 'cause Wonderland and the beach were cooler.
And then one day I came back for the Lane Swim to cure my saaaadd, academia-induced neck pain. I had become an adult.
Not much has changed over the years. The giant "Richmond Hill" flag still hangs at the front of the pool. The ceiling here was likely exceptionally high and sunny for '90s standards, and is still impressive today. I *think* the "big kids' slide" is still the same one from childhood and it hasn't aged a day in 20 years. Change rooms are large and clean and let you avoid people. The staff are nice, it doesn't cost a fortune to come here, and their public lane swim hours are good (approx. 11am-1pm and 9-10pm on weekdays, 11-12:30 on weekends). The pool at 25m is standard for a community centre with a generous deep end, the warm pool is equally fun and spacious.
My only complaint would be the narrowness of the small lane, and that the hairdryers in the women's washrooms are way too high for the 99% Asian demographic. Guess the town of R-Hill hadn't anticipated this turnout, lawls.
5 stars because this pool was already neat during its day and has kept up beautifully over the years. I've visited other R-Hill pools like the Centennial, where staff are rude a.f., or the Wave Pool, which is fun if you're under 12 and intolerable if you're over. I'll hit up a few more pools before finalizing the verdict, but for now Bayview Hill remains a first-rate spot to get your exercise in.
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