Swimming Canada is working on contingency plans after learning Wednesday that an extended closure of the Montreal Olympic Pool affects the scheduled dates of the Olympic & Paralympic Swimming Trials, Presented by Bell.

Swimming Canada had previously been informed by Centre sportif du Parc Olympique of a temporary closure due to damage caused by fire.

“As our High Performance Centre – Quebec is based at the Olympic Pool, our immediate concern was for those Paralympic Program swimmers to continue their training uninterrupted. We arranged an alternate training location for the short term, but Wednesday we were informed that the closure would be of a much longer term affecting Trials,” said Swimming Canada Acting CEO Suzanne Paulins.

The event serves as Swimming Canada’s selection meet to nominate the teams that will represent Canada at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The organization is now focused on organizing Trials at an alternate location in the Montreal area, maintaining the original May 13-19 schedule. Racing must be held in a 50-m pool with adequate capacity for participants and spectators, in a venue capable of accommodating broadcast of the event.

“We know that day-by-day plans for an Olympic and Paralympic year are laid out months in advance. We are also aware that, with Trials less than six weeks away, most participants have booked travel to, and accommodations in, Montreal,” Paulins said. “We are working hard on contingency plans to hold the event in Montreal on the scheduled dates of May 13-19.”

Swimming Canada will also continue to make alternate training arrangements for the HPC-Quebec, and work with partners at the Institut national du sport du Québec to ensure services remain available to athletes, including the temporary relocation of the INS medical clinic.

Staff will be consulting with key partners in the coming days, with a goal of sharing more detailed plans early next week.

“We know our athletes are resilient and adaptable, and so is our staff,” Paulins said. “We are doing our best to minimize disruption, and confident in our ability to deliver a first-class swim meet that sets us up for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

The status of tickets already purchased will be determined when a new location and seating plan is finalized. Swimming Canada will make best efforts to ensure fans receive comparable seating to what was originally purchased.