Sherbrook pool’s reduced hours make waves with swimmers

Reduced summer hours for Kinsmen Sherbrook Pool are reigniting fears of a future closure, despite assurances that isn’t the plan.

The Sherbrook Pool’s weekday hours are slated to shrink on June 29, delaying the opening from 6:45 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday to Friday from the end of June to the end of August. Doors are close closing earlier than last summer, switching from 7:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Weekend hours remain 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., matching last summer’s.

A frequent swimmer said many pool patrons fear the reduced hours will ultimately put the aging pool at greater risk of closure.

“There’s been a lot of energy … put together to save (this pool). And I’d hate to see all that energy and all that goodwill lost,” said Gail Archer Heese. “We thought … we were safe (and we wouldn’t) have this threatened once again, (yet) here we are.”

The Sherwood Pool first opened in 1931. In 2012, it shut down due to structural concerns, which would cost millions to fix. Residents rallied to save the facility, arguing it offered critical recreation options, including warm water suited to seniors and young children, as well as reduced swimming fees for lower income families.

In 2017, the facility reopened as Kinsmen Sherbrook Pool after the Kinsmen Club, province and city funded its repair.

Archer Heese said the pool remains a key exercise option for adults before they head to work. She swims there about three mornings a week, noting it offers good exercise for people facing limits to their activity level.

“I’ve had two heart attacks. To me … it’s not just a nice thing, it keeps me alive,” said Archer Heese.

She said a petition calling for the city to scrap the reduced hours has gathered more than 100 signatures.

In 2024, city council approved a review that would assess the Sherbrook pool’s use, cost and options to ensure it meets community needs. A report is expected back in fall 2027.

Mayor Scott Gillingham stressed there is no plan to close the facility.

“This is not a first step related to closing the pool,” Gillingham said of the reduced hours.

The mayor said the scheduling change reflects a seasonal drop in the pool’s use.

Coun. Vivian Santos, chairwoman of community services, said the hours at Sherbrook pool were previously expanded to fill the gap when Cindy Klassen pool closed for renovations.

“We’re (now) going back to the original pool hours prior to 2022. We just need to do a better job of communicating to the public,” said Santos (Point Douglas).

Santos said early swim hours will continue at Cindy Klassen pool, offering an alternative for early morning swimmers.

In an email, city spokeswoman Pam McKenzie said reducing Sherbrook Pool’s summer hours is expected to save the city about $16,000 this year.

A city councillor who advocated to reopen Sherbrook Pool in the past said she shares residents’ concerns.

“Every time that they reduce those (hours), it is a concern. Because (then city staff) could come back and say the (visitor) numbers aren’t as good as last year … This is a critical pool,” said Coun. Cindy Gilroy (Daniel McIntyre).

The councillor said services at the “hidden gem” should instead expand to help the city ensure amenities are available for downtown residents.

Meanwhile, another Winnipegger fears the city’s ongoing plan to decommission wading pools is reducing access to places to cool off.

Martin Kotecki questions the upcoming removal of the Harrow Park wading pool.

“It’s well used, especially since COVID … It was full off people all day long from opening time to closing time. It’s a lot better than just running around under a spray,” said Kotecki.

He said his mother helped push for the park’s creation and he’s disappointed it won’t be there for future kids.

“The people that come to these wading pools, they’re not people who can go out to the lake … It impacts working families,” said Kotecki.

Gillingham noted that change is part of a broader shift from wading pools to spray pads within the city’s recreation strategy.

In May 2024, a new spray pad and playground opened at Corydon Community Centre’s Crescentwood site, which was designed to replace the community centre’s wading pool as well as those at Harrow Park and Cordova Park.

“The advantage of spray pads is they’re dynamic facilities that children really enjoy, rather than wading pools that sometimes are past their best usage … It’s (also) a lot less expensive and a lot easier to operate our spray pads. They don’t require the same level of staffing that our wading pools require,” said Gillingham.

McKenzie said work to decommission the Harrow Park wading pool should begin early next week, weather permitting. It will be replaced with a new picnic shelter, picnic tables, benches, pathways and landscaping.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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