Reacting to an investigation by the Toronto Star that revealed widespread code violations, Toronto's Board of Health Chairman said the city will crack down on pools and spas that ignore health and safety standards.
According to a story in the Toronto Star, the paper had obtained city health inspection reports outlining more than 10,000 code infractions, which put swimmers and hot tub users at risk of disease and injury.
The infractions were concentrated in such venues as health clubs and condos, the report said. Toronto's public pools were far less likely to be cited. And while many of the infractions were insignificant in nature, others concerned water quality and emergency equipment maintenance.
John Filion, a councillor in Willowdale whose ward had the most infractions in Toronto, told the Star, "What concerns me is the year-over-year numbers don't seem to be declining. We need to do a more effective job at getting a much higher rate of compliance."
Filion noted that assessing a fine when infractions are identified would help. Currently no fine is involved when the health department inspects a facility and discovers a violation.
