No sense spending more on Centennial Pool

By CRAIG DURLING
In December HRM released the results of a study on building a 50 metre pool at the Mainland Common in Clayton Park.

The study said that because Halifax is already well served with two 50-metre pools, HRM should invest $3-million to extend the lifespan of 40-year-old Centennial Pool by 20 years; this instead of building a new 50-metre pool as part of a new facility at the Mainland Common.

In 1997 HRM commissioned a KPMG study to review the operations of recreation facilities. The report identified that Centennial Pool was underutilized by the community and was losing lots of money. KPMG recommended its closure.

Today, Centennial Pool is still underutilized by the community. It is a competitive pool that is not condusive to recreational programming such as learn-to-swim programs. It is not used for competitions because it is outdated and improperly sized. Its main tenants are competitive training teams who would move to a newer, more current facility if one was available.

HRM recently began readying land for construction at the Mainland Common site but have not told the public what they are building. In the wake of the Commonwealth Games bid collapse, many are hopeful the new facility will include a state-of-the-art aquatic centre. Unfortunately, all signs indicate that HRM will opt to save money by investing in a 40-year old out-dated and under-used pool.