Members of the Central Alberta Aquatics Centre are disappointed that the City of Red Deer has pushed back budgeting for a 50-metre swimming pool until at least 2021.
Council’s recent approval of the 2011 capital budget deferred 23 projects under the 10-year capital plan — including the Olympic-sized pool — by one year.
“We’re really disappointed in that because there is a very obvious, proven need,” said Bob Diewold, aquatics group member and president of the Silver Sharks Masters Swim Club.
He said current facilities cannot keep up with the growing demand of various aquatic groups. The city also does not have an adequate centre to accommodate activities such as water polo, diving and even canoe, kayak and scuba diving training, he added.
“I don’t know how far you’d have to go to find a city our size that doesn’t have an aquatic facility that we’re suggesting we build. We are definitely the poor cousin in this.”
Smaller municipalities such as Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Fort McMurray and Grande Prairie have 50-metre swimming pools.
City manager Craig Curtis said council approved the 2011 budget that cancelled five projects, in addition to deferring another 23, because they don’t want to dip further into debt during this slow economic recovery.
“At this stage, city council has said we’ve got to basically live within our means and not to increase our debt level to any significant degree.”
Curtis said council and administration are interested in the pool project, which is why a joint task force of aquatic group members and city representatives were awarded $200,000 in city funds last spring to prepare a three-part report.
City project superintendant Jerry Hedlund said the group is about to finalize the hiring of a consultant to create the concept plan, for which $150,000 has been earmarked.
A $25,000 public awareness campaign will be launched as the concept plan is finalized to inform the community on things such as what the pool might look like and where it could be located.
The group has decided, however, to hold off on tendering the $25,000 business plan. Diewold explained that they want the report to be as relevant as possible and put it off until the city specifies when budgeting for the pool will officially begin.
ptrotter@www.reddeeradvocate.com