Why some municipalities are opting to not replace aging outdoor pools

Some Southwestern Ontario municipalities are opting to not repair or replace aging outdoor pools due to a short swimming season and overflowing costs.

In Woodstock, Lions Pool was a summertime swimming destination for 75 years. But in 2023, holes were found in the pool liner.

“The decision was made not to spend any more money on it,” Woodstock Mayor Jerry Acchione said.

Lions Pool was closed. The plan had been to decommission it within a couple of years anyway, with a replacement outdoor pool to be built at Cowan Fields, in the city’s east end.

However, in March, the new pool project was paused by city council.

“During the budget deliberations, it was decided to hold back and not proceed with that, again, because of the financial burdens citizens are facing right now,” Acchione explained.

The mayor estimated the new pool would have cost $5.4 million.

“I can’t speak for all of council, but I’ll certainly say I’d be more in favour of something to be used at that kind of expense for 12 months of the year, not just two,” he said.

Statistics from the city’s aquatic department note during the last few years Lions Pool was open, an average of 15 to 36 people used the pool per day, though that number does not include camp programs or swimming lessons.

The city is doing a study on its recreational needs, and it is possible an outdoor pool could be discussed again in the future if it’s deemed a priority.

Woodstock is not alone. Clinton’s outdoor pool has been closed for three years, in need of expensive repairs.

This year Central Huron Council opted to spend $200,000 to fill it in and return the area to green space. Building a new pool would have cost about $5 million.

However, it is a different story in Cambridge, where the mayor believes outdoor pools are a priority.

“Councillors tend to be very timid. They don’t want to raise taxes. But sometimes you have to bite the bullet. You have to do it in order to keep services up in the community and keep the quality of life there as well,” Mayor Jan Liggett said.

On a sunny day in July, Ed Newland Pool in Preston was busy.

Ed Newland Pool in Preston on July 17, 2024. (CTV News/Krista Simpson)

Wyatt Carson was among those swimming, and says he’s been coming to the pool for more than a decade.

“It's special to swim in an outdoor pool because you get the actual sunlight. And I feel like it's just a lot better than, you know, swimming inside,” Carson said.

He expects to visit the pool around 20 times this summer.

Cambridge has another outdoor pool, George Hancock Pool, and the mayor said plans are moving ahead to build a third one in Soper Park, replacing the one that closed in 2021.

“It will be starting construction in 2026,” says Liggett. “it’s been approved by council at this time as a happening thing.”

Liggett said the pool is still in the design phase and is part of a broader park redevelopment project, so there’s no final price tag at this point.

Liggett notes that while cities have to juggle many priorities, outdoor pools and the community that comes with them are important.

“These are the things that become memories in people’s lives. These are the things that make people feel good about where they live. Where they want to come back to when they finish university, raise their own children. So this is the kind of thing that’ll make a community grow,” Liggett said.