Health Canada has issued a recall notice for more than 260,000 above-ground swimming pools sold in Canada since the early 2000s after nine kids drowned in the United States.
Another five million pools are under a recall advisory in the U.S.
The notices cover a range of Bestway, Intex Recreation and Polygroup pools sold by major retailers as far back as 2002.
Health Canada and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) say the pools have compression straps running along the outside of the product that “may create a foothold” for small children and allow them to access the water unattended.
That can pose a serious drowning risk, the regulators warn, and they’re asking consumers to contact the companies for a repair.
To date, the CPSC believes at least nine children across the U.S. have drowned after gaining access to these now-recalled pools in this way.
Those deaths occurred between 2007 and 2022, involving children between the ages of 22 months and three years old.
Health Canada said in its recall that the pool companies have not received any reports of incidents or injuries in Canada.
Consumers in possession of these pools are urged to immediately contact Bestway, Intex and/or Polygroup to receive a free repair kit — which will consist of a rope to replace the compression strap.
Owners of these pools should otherwise ensure that small children cannot access the pool without supervision, regulators note — and could alternatively drain the pool until the repair is made.
All of the pools being recalled are 48 inches (122 centimetres) or taller — and can be identified by brand and model names listed on both the CPSC’s and Health Canada’s recall notices.
Sales of the pools ranged by model and location, but date as far back to 2002 and as recently as 2025.
About five million of these now-recalled pools were sold across the U.S. — including both online and in-stores at major retailers like Walmart, Target, Lowe’s, Costco and Amazon. Another 266,000 were sold in Canada.
