A popular mountain destination for many Cochranites is no longer open for public access.

The Fairmont Hot Springs Resort announced its pool will remain open for members and resort guests but has to close due to a lack of lifeguards.

"Provincial regulations require us to have a specific number of lifeguards on duty when we are open to the public" details a social media post made by The Fairmont Hot Springs Resort. "Coming out of the pandemic there has been a significant shortage of certified lifeguards. This has been a problem across North America and is due in part to the lack of courses for lifeguard certification during the pandemic."

"During the summer we have been able to recruit sufficient certified lifeguards to operate as a public pool but many of these positions were filled by students who have now returned to their educational programs. Because of their departure, we can not meet the provincial regulatory requirements for public access."

The facility hopes to reopen to the public in the spring of 2023.

Banff Upper Hot Springs will remain open to the public but with limited hours. "First aid, CPR, and National Lifeguard courses were cancelled for 18 months, limiting the pool of potential employees interested in entering or recertifying to work at an aquatic facility." reads a post from Parks Canada. "This has created an industry-wide shortage of qualified lifeguards for many Canadian aquatic facilities, including Radium, Miette, and Banff Upper Hot Springs."