Facility cuts would hurt: activists

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This article was published 06/02/2015 (3962 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For many children in the inner city, a wading pool may be one of the only ways to cool down on a hot summer day.

That’s why Kyle Mason, executive director and founder of the North End Family Centre, says Mayor Brian Bowman and city councillors should think hard before shutting down 30 wading pools and closing two leisure centres.

“All I ask is they consider the full impact on families if they close wading pools and leisure centres,” Mason said on Thursday.

“It is a way for kids to get out and have good, clean fun and cool off on a lot of days. Many people we deal with don’t have air conditioners. I hope they will listen.”

Mason was responding to budget proposals leaked to the Free Press and revealed on Thursday that would see numerous city recreational facilities closed or cut back to save about $1 million annually.

The proposals include closing and decommissioning 30 wading pools, shutting the St. John’s Leisure Centre and East End Cultural and Leisure Centre, closing three outdoor pools and the indoor one the city operates in Bernie Wolfe Community School. Also proposed is a reduction in hours and programming at five indoor pools, including the Sherbrook Pool, which hasn’t reopened after renovations.

Mason said he knows the effect a hot summer day can have on people.

“We see our numbers go up during the summer because we have air conditioning,” he said. “We know there are families who come here just to get out of the heat. There are no malls in the North End, so wading pools are important.”

Bernie Wolfe Community School principal Andy Zarrillo said if the city closes the pool it operates in his school, it will be felt by the community.

“It’s an important piece to the community,” Zarrillo said. “It’s a facility that once it’s gone, it probably won’t come back. It isn’t something that is used all day, hour to hour, but we do have groups that come in on a weekly schedule. It provides a needed service to this neighbourhood.”

The small pool, which opened in 1977, is only one metre deep and hosts various adult recreation classes and youth swimming lessons two to three times a week. It isn’t used by the school.

“It provides a convenience for this area,” Zarrillo said. “When you close recreational facilities down, it forces the programs to close down as well. I’m not sure how people in this area will make up for that loss.”

Karla Dueck Thiessen, a spokeswoman for the Sherbrook Sharks Swim Team, expressed shock that city council is looking at cutting hours and trimming programs before the pool has reopened after millions of dollars of extensive renovations. She said the Free Press story was the first she had heard the pool was being targeted for cutbacks.

“It is very short-sighted in my view,” she said. “Seniors groups use it during the day, so they will be up in arms… this just sickens me.”

Dueck Thiessen said the city should be adding more programming at the pool, not cutting it.

‘All I ask is they consider the full impact on families if they close wading pools and leisure centres’ — Kyle Mason of the North End Family Centre

“They never put any effort into programming in the past, so it was underused,” she said. “Programming is definitely key to the health of the pool.”

Last year, when Kevin Chief was minister for children and youth, he stood with then-mayor Sam Katz and Kinsmen Club of Winnipeg president Raj Phangureh and announced the province would inject $1.2 million as part of the $4 million in renovations for the pool.

A spokesman for Chief said Thursday “It is premature to speculate on these issues before the city has submitted a draft budget.”

But Phangureh said the proposed budget cuts could jeopardize a $1-million donation, which his organization announced last year, that it is prepared to give the city to help renovate the facility.

“This is a total shock to me,” Phangureh said. “We haven’t finalized a deal with the city — we haven’t given them a million dollars yet. If this comes, it could change our decision considerably.”

Coun. Cindy Gilroy (Daniel McIntyre) said she will reject the proposed cutting of four wading pools in her community. She said the wading pools at Orioles Community Centre, Sargent Park, Jacob Penner Park and the Clifton site of Valour Community Centre not only offer families recreational services, but also give summer employment to youth.

“The proposed budget cuts would have a major impact to my community,” Gilroy said.

Gilroy said she will also oppose any proposal to reduce daytime hours at the Sherbrook Pool.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca