Calgary Hotel Pool: Chemical Leak Poisons Kids' Hockey Team

CALGARY — A kids' hockey weekend turned into a chemical nightmare when multiple members of a Calgary U7 team were poisoned at the Canmore Inn & Suites pool. Two children remain hospitalized.

The culprit? A toxic soup of chlorine, sweat, and urine that created chloramines—a chemical reaction one source compared to "cyanide." Translation: somebody wasn't watching the dials on the pool's filtration system, and seven-year-olds paid the price.

The Breakdown

Alberta Health Services is now crawling through the hotel's maintenance records under the Alberta Public Health Act and Pool Regulation (AR 293/2006), which lays out the gospel for pH levels and disinfectant balance. Calgary Zone Environmental Public Health inspectors are running point.

The mess suggests the pool's chemical system was either broken or ignored—letting organic compounds build up until chlorine became a weapon instead of a safeguard. This isn't just a rookie mistake. It's a system failure.

Who Pays

The Canmore Inn & Suites is on the hook. Fines under the Public Health Act can hit thousands of dollars per violation, and that's before the families' lawyers even sharpen their pencils. Civil suits are coming, which means the hotel's insurance company is about to have a very bad quarter.

The families, backed by their minor hockey association, aren't waiting around for apologies.

What Happens Next

AHS will issue a formal report once the investigation wraps. An AHS Executive Officer has the power to shut the pool down permanently if the violations are severe enough. Alberta Occupational Health and Safety may also step in if any staff were exposed during the incident.

The final decision on closure is pending the completed investigation.