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Public fills information session about pool

Members of the public filled the room during an information session about the proposed $90 million aquatic centre, which will include an Olympic-sized pool, in Red Deer last night.
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Standing above the existing 25 metre pool at the Recreation Centre in Red Deer John Cuthbertson holds up an artists rendering of what the interior of a new aquatic centre in Red Deer could look like.

Members of the public filled the room during an information session about the proposed $90 million aquatic centre, which will include an Olympic-sized pool, in Red Deer last night.

Questions included concerns over parking space, how traffic downtown would be impacted and how the project would help the city’s bid to host the 2019 Canada Winter Games.

Staff from the Central Alberta Aquatic Centre committee presented the update at the Black Knight Inn to almost 100 people, noting that “the time is now” for Red Deer to build the 50-metre pool and meet the standards to host provincial and national competitions.

Plans for the centre at Red Deer Rotary Recreation Park include 10 50-metre lanes, an adjustable hydraulic floor, a 54 by 24 metre competition tank, a 25 by 15 metre dive tank and bulk heads to divide the pool for multi-purposes like water polo, kayaking and scuba diving.

There would also be a whirlpool section and Flow Rider, which offers wave simulations ideal for surfing, and numerous sustainability features such as a green roof and a solar wall.

The centre would “definitely help” the city’s bid for the Winter Games, said Lyn Radford, committee chairperson.

“It would be the first time in the history of the winter games that we could host every sport . . . but we can’t build just for the games, we have to build for the community,” she said.

“The need for this stands regardless of the games . . . I think you will find this is a most worthy project for Red Deer,” said John Cuthbertson, committee chair of the Central Alberta Aquatic Centre.

A video showcased the strain on Red Deer facilities and how the city is lacking compared to Grande Prairie and Fort McMurray, two cities that have recently completed new aquatic centres complete with 50-metre pools.

According to Cuthbertson there are sometimes seven people swimming in one 25-metre lane in Red Deer and over 750 people are on waiting lists for swimming lessons every year.

While Red Deer does have four pools, the space for aquatics and the number of lanes available in those pools doesn’t add up when it compares to the city’s consistently growing population, he said.

Red Deer’s current population results in about 5,327 people per swimming lane given the current facilities. There are 2,728 people per lane in Medicine Hat and 2,293 people per lane in Grande Prairie.

With the proposed aquatic centre, that number would be reduced by at least half, said Brian Gallaway, public relations chair of the committee.

The $90 million price tag is also subject to change, said committee members, as it was the original estimate and included plans for a splash park which has since been built.

Maureen Klassen and Shirley Simpson are two swimmers who attended the meeting and were impressed with what they heard.

“It’s an awesome opportunity,” said Simpson. “I depend on it everyday . . . I was in the Dawe Centre on Nov. 11 and it was just packed. We need this facility. . . It’s important to remember the homeless are dependent of these facilities as well because they use them for the showers and to escape the vulnerability of the streets, weather.”

Red Deer city council plan to discuss the Central Alberta Aquatic Centre on Nov. 26 after Councillors Paul Harris and Lynne Mulder introduced a motion to put the centre into the city’s 10-year capital budget.

In an Advocate pre-election survey of the candidates, the new council and mayor all were on the same page with their support for a 50-metre pool.

rfrancoeur@www.reddeeradvocate.com