Brooklands residents fight to save pool

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/02/2024 (601 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The closure of the Eldon Ross indoor pool would be devastating to the community and further strip recreation opportunities in the Brooklands neighbourhood, residents protesting its proposed shuttering say.

A crowd packed the Brooklands Active Living Centre Monday evening for a town hall to discuss the 40-year-old facility and share their thoughts on its future with their local city councillor.

“It’s the last recreation facility left in Brooklands … They closed the hockey rink. They closed the library. I think it’s a fairly important part of the community,” said Murray Shroeder, who frequents the facility.

“It’s like taking taking taking. It’s all (kids) have,” added Loretta Flamand, who has lived in the area for nearly 44 years.

“It just seems like it’s always a battle, to keep taking and giving the money to other neighbourhoods. We’re a neighbourhood, too.”

The 2024-2027 preliminary city budget is proposing to close the Eldon Ross indoor, Happyland outdoor and Windsor Park outdoor pools this year, while also decommissioning or replacing 20 wading pools, deeming them too expensive to maintain and staff.

City officials say a $20-million program is slated to provide 10 new spray pads (along with five previously announced) in the next six years, providing alternative recreation facilities.

Repairs to maintain the Eldon Ross pool are estimated to cost upwards of $10 million, while hours and visits have been on the decline in recent years, according to the city.

If approved by council, the northwest Winnipeg pool would be shuttered July 1 and decommissioned in 2025. There are no plans to reinvest in the site in the future, said Coun. Vivian Santos.

Lisa Jenkins goes to the pool with her 11-year-old son, Ethan, every week. Ethan is autistic and non-verbal, and the deep end of the pool is accessible for him to swim in.

“If I go to Eldon Ross pool, I don’t have to talk to the lifeguards because they know (Ethan). He just goes in and jumps in and he swims and he’s happy,” she said.

Jenkins and her family of four all use the facility. Its closure would mean fewer opportunities for recreation in the neighbourhood, she said.

“Other areas have multiple things like a pool and a splash pad and we don’t have any of that. There’s nothing.

“If they take away the pool, what are these young people going to do? They’re gonna vandalize things or get into trouble.”

The pool has survived numerous visits to the chopping block. In 1989 and 1993, city councillors proposed its closure in order to save money, but it remained open.

The pool was up for closure again in 2020.

The Brooklands elementary school relies on the Grade 3 swim program for students, said principal Samantha Amaral.

“The pool is the one thing these kids have,” she said, adding without it the school will have to transport students elsewhere, which comes with a price tag.

Santos fielded questions about the proposed closure and took feedback to bring back to her colleagues to discuss.

The Point Douglas councillor said she would be open to a feasibility study for recreation in the neighbourhood, as closing one thing without opening another is not an acceptable option.

“I would personally like to advocate to keep the pool open while there’s a feasibility study. You can’t just close something without having something readily available to open,” she said.

A lack of city lifeguards contributed to the proposed closure, while visits to the space have steadily declined over the years, Santos said.

In 2023, the pool saw 5,600 admissions despite being open 35 hours per week during the summer season.

The councillor said if there was an increase to its use, the Eldon Ross pool could stand a chance.

“The more it’s used … that’s how we keep the pool open,” Santos said.

An online petition calling to keep the pool opened had more than 700 signatures as of Monday afternoon. Santos said she would present the petition to council to discuss before the final votes are cast on the budget.

Council is set to vote on the multi-year financial plan on March 20.

— with files from Joyanne Pursaga

nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca