An Alberta hotel says it’s clearing up some online rumours after nearly a dozen children who were swimming in the indoor pool suddenly fell ill and had to be rushed to hospital.
The incident happened Sunday morning at the Canmore Inn and Suites in the town of Canmore, located about 100 kilometres west of Calgary.
Town and health officials said paramedics and multiple ambulances responded to the hazmat request to treat a potential chemical contamination.
Parent Jennifer Stevenson told Global News her son, Oliver, was among those sickened and described the situation as “terrifying.”
“It was just a normal pool day and all of a sudden Oliver came to me and said he was coughing, the hot tub was making him cough. All of a sudden all the other kids were coughing too. Most of them were throwing up and we just got out of there,” she said.
In a statement, Canmore Inn and Suites said they took the situation very seriously and continue to do so.
“We understand how upsetting this situation has been and are committed to providing our full support to those impacted,” the statement read.
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“Immediately upon becoming aware of the situation, our team contacted emergency services and Alberta Health, and we have been fully cooperating with all authorities since the outset.”
On social media, some comments have referred to “cyanide” being the cause of the illness — something the hotel denies.
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“At this time, we would like to make clear that there is no evidence to support claims or rumors circulating on social media regarding the presence of cyanide. Our pool systems are professionally operated and monitored by a licenced chemical management company, which is investigating the incident,” the statement continued.
The Town of Canmore said initial air monitoring by firefighters detected an elevated level of a hazardous substance that was suspected to be chlorine, based on symptoms.
The hotel goes on to say testing has not found “any indication of deliberate contamination.”
Premier thanks first responders
The hotel said it would share any further information once confirmed by health authorities.
On social media, Premier Danielle Smith said she was “certain we will learn more about what caused this incident in the coming days.”
“My heart goes out to the children who became seriously ill at a Canmore hotel pool and to their families, who must be incredibly worried right now,” she wrote.
“I am thinking of them and hoping for their full recovery. I want to extend my sincere gratitude to the paramedics, firefighters, hospital staff and all first responders who rushed these kids to safety and provided urgent care.”
Ten children were sent to the hospital in Canmore for further treatment, while one was taken to the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary.
Stevenson said her son, who was visiting the town as part of a minor hockey tournament, was treated and released from hospital.
A spokesperson for the Canmore Eagles Minor Hockey Association confirmed many of the children were in town as part of a U-7 tournament, and thanked emergency responders and health-care teams for their actions.
— with files from Global News’ Ken MacGillivray and Bella Finn
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