Kitchener Dad Upset Daughter's Inflatable Toy Banned

The five-year-old girl, who has a rare genetic disorder, needed the toy to be able to enjoy the cold waters of the sloped, lakelike city pool.

Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic expects that meeting to occur later this week.

"We work hard to ensure a positive experience for everyone," Vrbanovic said Tuesday. "Sometimes things happen where we need to learn and we need to do better."

Earlier Tuesday, the girl's father threatened legal action, claiming pool staff refused to allow his daughter to take a small inflatable ring featuring princess characters into the water.

"At this point, I'm actually looking for a human rights lawyer because this is ridiculous," said Chris Wheaton, who confirmed he was to set up a meeting day and time in a phone call with the mayor later on Tuesday.

Wheaton said his daughter Selena, who has cri du chat syndrome, used the small ring with a cover in the middle to float on in the cold water for four hours on Sunday.

Selena, due to her condition, is unable to comfortably go into cold water above her ankles. Her father said every muscle in her body tenses right up when she submerges.

A lifeguard approached the family and informed them the ring was too big to be allowed in the water, Wheaton said.

It had to be under three feet or 36 inches in diameter. Wheaton said the ring - which might have been a $10 purchase at the dollar store, he said - was measured and found to be 32 inches. An announcement, Wheaton said, was made banning all inflatable toys.

The mayor said that it is his understanding that at other city pools inflatables are not allowed. At Kiwanis, because of it beach-style design, inflatables are allowed when the facility isn't overly busy. It's considered a safety issue.

After the incident, Wheaton and his wife Ana, and their three daughters, were given a refund and left the park. The family had paid $24 to enter.

"I don't want this to go away," Wheaton said.

"This is one of those situations that us parents with special needs children go through on a daily basis. But it's not so high-profile and, I guess, important to the public. For this one here, we now have a platform to stand up and go, ' ... This happens all the time and it's got to stop'."

Wheaton said he got a call from Denise Keelan, the city's aquatics manager, on Monday morning. He said Keelan said she was calling from her cottage while on vacation.

"She was all apologetic and, 'We're going to take care of this - just let me get back from my vacation,' which was way more important than the issue," Wheaton said.

On Tuesday, the city said Keelan was still away. Vrbanovic addressed the issue.

"Obviously, in this circumstance, there's, I think, more that we can do to educate our staff about cri du chat syndrome," Vrbanovic said. "But also, how to make sure we're doing our utmost when it comes to communication and managing these kinds of situations."

The mayor said he wants future interactions with pool users, especially those with disabilities, to be resolved seamlessly, with a positive and stress-free experience.

"I think what this has brought to light is that balance that our staff have to find in terms of the head guards and the other guards responsibility in maintaining overall safety in the pool, but with our duty accommodate those with disabilities," Vrbanovic said.

"I think, what the dialogue (this week) would involve is how do we do it in a way that meets both Selena's needs as well as the safety of everyone else is the pool as well."

Twitter: @HicksJD

Twitter: @HicksJD