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Red Deer’s aquatic centre gets surge of support

Advocates want it built on schedule — not in four years
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Lyn Mulder, (from left), Roy van der Sluis, Brian Gallaway and Darcy Waddle want to help reduce the cost of the pool project so it can go ahead on schedule. (Photo by LANA MICHELIN/Advocate staff).

A “flood” of letters protesting the proposed four-year delay in building a new aquatic centre has been pouring into the city, say aggrieved pool advocates.

Lisa Perkins, corporate services director for the City of Red Deer, confirmed that “numerous” communications have been received seeking a speedier start to the aquatic centre project.

Supporters have been seeking a larger new pool since the 1980s, and a new aquatic centre was No. 1 on the public’s facilities wish list in 2006.

Nearly a decade ago, a $110-million aquatic centre was added to the city’s 10-year capital plan, but city administrators have now recommended the expensive project be pushed back so the city doesn’t overstep its self-imposed debt limit.

Brian Gallaway, president of the Central Alberta Aquatic Centre Committee, said nobody needs a “bells and whistles” facility. He feels the elaborate concept plan developed for the aquatic centre has too many frills, instead of realistically fitting the city’s budget.

His committee is offering to help reduce costs by whittling the project down to the bare essentials — a 50-metre covered and well-heated pool, a spectator area and locker room. Gallaway feels it’s worth building the centre now, while interest rates and construction labour costs remain low.

A 50-metre pool was recently built by the University of British Columbia for $39 million, noted former city councillor and aquatic centre proponent Lynne Mulder, who hopes council will not delay the project further.

“I really think it can be scaled back if we look at it differently.”

Mulder maintains if Red Deer is trying to position itself as a sports tourism centre, the city can’t afford to continue having inadequate swim facilities. The synchronized swimming event for the 2019 Canada Winter Games already had to be moved to Calgary, and she feels the city will lose out on future aquatic competitions.

While Red Deer is geographically well placed to have provincial competitions, the city can only host 25-metre events.

Darcy Waddle, president of the Catalina Swim Club, said this means there’s no province-wide meets, no local water polo club, no synchronized swimming competitions, or ways to grow membership in clubs that are grappling with overcrowded swimming lanes.

How it it that cities much smaller than Red Deer have managed to build a 50-metre competitive-sized pool and this city is “constantly pushing the project to the back?” he questioned.

Waddle noted Edmonton, Calgary, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Fort McMurray and Grande Prairie all have 50-metre pools.

Red Deer’s pool project was to have started its design phase next year. It might now not start until 2023, with construction beginning in 2025, if council delays the project by four years.

Proposal to delay pool project by four years

Gallaway was excited when a new aquatic centre was added to the city’s 10-year capital plan and is frustrated by the proposed delay. He was among the master swimmers who quit the Silver Sharks club because it became too frustrating to swim in crowded, turbulent lanes at the Michener Centre pool, which is too short and too shallow.

“As a taxpayer, I am very upset about where my money is going,” said Roy van der Sluis, president of the Red Deer Sliver Sharks Master Swimming Club.

Provincial records show virtually all of Red Deer’s municipal sustainability initiative funding over many years was used solely for roads and other infrastructure projects. Van der Sluis noticed other communities managed to achieve a balance between funding utility projects and arts, culture and recreational projects.

“Shouldn’t we be investing in our future” — beyond roads? he questioned.

City council is expected to deliberate the 2019 capital budget on Monday and Tuesday.



lmichelin@reddeeradvocate.com

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