This summer, jump off a cliff into Canada’s largest outdoor freshwater swimming pool!
Located in Southwestern Ontario, at the junction of Thames River and Trout Creek, is the little town of St Marys.
Founded in the 1840s when settlers came in search of the town’s abundance of limestone, St Marys is home to Canada’s largest outdoor freshwater swimming pool that started out as a limestone quarry.
The Town of St Marys bought two abandoned limestone quarries along with 50 acres of surrounding land in 1945 and in the course of time converted it into a public recreational facility.
Today, you can cliff jump into the quarry (water level permitting), swim, and explore the quarry on a Stand-up paddleboard, or play beach volleyball!
In addition, this year, Super Splash Waterpark will open at St. Marys Quarry. You will be to climb, jump, swing, bounce and slide your way through the Super Splash inflatable obstacle course. There is also a 14-foot-tall Ice Tower for free climbing and a 12-foot-tall giant slide.
Go, take that detour to St Marys when you are travelling between London and Kitchener or en route to Grand Bend Beach/ Lambton Shores from Toronto.
When:
Friday, June 30 to Monday, September 4, 2023 from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily.
You will need to book and pay for one or more swim times and then book and pay for your time on the inflatable.
Where: St. Marys Quarry, 425 Water Street South, St. Marys
How much:
Children/youth aged 3-17: $4.75 per person per swim time
Adults aged 18+: $7.25 per person per swim time
Super Splash Waterpark admission is $25 per person for two hours or $20 per person for an evening pass.
Swim Level to jump off the cliff: Ability to tread water for 3 minutes and swim 100 meters continuously.
What else to do at St Marys
Also known as The Stone Town because of its limestones, St Marys is home to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and a splendid 3.2 km accessible walkway that started out as part of the historic Grand Trunk Railway.
St. Marys is part of Perth County, and there is plenty to do in the area including the famous Stratford Theatre Festival. Plan a weekend and discover what the region has to offer.