Halifax residents want more money for new aquatic facility

The municipal government will make a final decision for an aquatic centre in Halifax at the beginning of December. But residents are not happy with any options and want the government to re-consider.

By: Rhianna Jackiw rjackiw@gmail.com

Centennial is the only pool in Atlantic Canada with a 10-metre diving board. Photo: Rhianna Jackiw

The Halifax city council has proposed three options for an aquatic centre in the west end of Halifax. Yet most residents taking interest in the centre are not satisfied with any of the options and want the city to spend more money on the facility.

The city began considering a new aquatic centre in 2001 and regional council has been debating the three options for almost five years. The first option is a renovation of North Cliff, a forty-five-year old, 25-metre pool with six lanes in Clayton Park. The second is to replace the existing pool with a standard 50-metre pool. The third option is a $14 million new pool.

At a public meeting held on Oct 27, individuals who spoke said the $14 million option was the only viable one. Many people said it would not even be enough money to build an appropriate facility and that a world class aquatic centre is needed. This would include a dry land facility with a track and weight room, a 50-metre pool and a cool-down pool as a starting point.

A swimmer

Halifax resident Craig Simpson trains for triathlons at Centennial pool in downtown Halifax three days a week. He says there will be few options for competitive swimmers if the 35-year-old Centennial pool closes down. Regional council has, for years, considered closing the aging pool as a cost-saving measure.

He says, “There are condos going up around Centennial and it is inevitable that the pool will shut down and something will be re-built in its place. What pool is going to host all of these teams when it does? The other pools in the area are either too small or already hosting university teams and don’t have enough room.”

Simpson also says the $14-million proposed budget “doesn’t even begin” to support the type of facility the community needs. Right now, nine competitive aquatic teams train at Centennial Pool. Simpson says the new facility has to provide enough space for all of these teams, a current issue at Centennial.

He says, “There are nights during the week where it feels like all of these different clubs are swimming on top of each other. That isn’t a way to train properly.”

Simpson says he has attended every meeting about the proposed facility and has written a letter to the council so that they “understand things from an athlete prospective.” He says a proper facility should cost at least $25 million if it is going to be sustainable and worth the investment.

A coach

Michael Anderson, a competitive swim coach from Etobicoke, Ont., moved to Halifax four months ago. He says the province needs a facility that is adequate for swimmers, both in and out of the pool.

He says, “Aquatic athletes need to train outside of the pool too and I think the council is either forgetting or doesn’t know how essential it is. We need a track and weights and enough space to do strength training.”

Anderson also says a large, well-equipped aquatic centre should also include facilities for other sports such as an ice rink and tennis courts. He says the sports facilities in Atlantic Canada have not only fallen far behind the rest of the country, but the rest of the world.

He says, “I was recently in Africa for a track and field meet. Countries like Nairobi far surpass the facilities we have in Nova Scotia. There is no real reason for the options we were given, besides a lack of interest on the part of all three levels of government.”

A resident

Michael Vaughan is a Clayton Park resident who jogs at Dalplex, a community sports facility on the Dalhousie University campus, most weekday mornings. He says a new facility should also consider a track and fitness area because there are few options for Clayton Park residents who want to stay active in the winter. He says most of his friends and family members stop exercising in the cold season because they do not have a public sports facility close to home.

“It’s hard to get motivated to go to the gym in the middle of winter and it’s even harder when you have to drive twenty minutes to get to a crowded pool or gym.”

Vaughan, a father of four, says the facility is necessary if people want to encourage youth in the community to lead a healthy lifestyle. He says there are few options for children in the Clayton Park area who want to participate in sports.

He says, “I don’t think small cities in Ontario have so many athletes that go on to win Olympic medals because of something in their drinking water. It is because they encourage their youth to take part in sports and demonstrate this through things like beautiful swimming pools and skating rinks.”

Diana Whalen, the MLA for Halifax Clayton Park, says the community needs to voice their opinions through letters, petitions and phone calls to the municipal government. She says getting the entire community to speak out is the only way the government will change their minds about the facility.

Joan Faulkner, a representative of the federal cabinet member for Nova Scotia, Geoff Reagan, says Ottawa has given $1.4 million to the new facility. Faulkner says this is more than Reagan has given for any other project in the riding, but it is mainly up to the municipal government to provide support and adequate funds for the project.

Representatives from the municipal government say they will not comment on the potential facility until council has made a final decision.

The municipal government will make a decision about the facility on Dec. 5.