Cooling off during one of Vancouver’s increasingly hot summer days could be a lot easier if the NPA-led park board manages to follow through on a campaign promise to build new outdoor pools.
You read that right: outdoor pools, plural.
And it seems the park board is in a hurry to get going.
Long-time NPA commissioner John Coupar has put a motion on notice that, if passed, would direct staff to “explore quick-start strategies” that include reallocating funds to “expedite the construction” of additional pools in city parks.
In a May park board council meeting, commissioners also discussed the possibility of a floating pool on the Fraser River or other waterways.
Coupar's motion includes a rundown of the number of pools in other major Canadian cities.
To put it mildly, according to the park board’s research, Vancouver comes up short:
- Montreal — population 3,824,211 — has 74 outdoor pools
- Toronto — population 2,791,140 — has 57 outdoor pools
- Winnipeg —population 699,346 — has 10 outdoor pools
- Ottawa — population 856,650 —has nine outdoor pools
- Calgary — population 1,195,194 — has seven outdoor pools
- Edmonton — population 835,000 — has five outdoor pools
By comparison, Vancouver and its population of 680,000 residents have three outdoor pools.
Granted, we also have oceanfront beaches, and this list does not include public splash parks.
Nonetheless, Coupar, through the motion, also argues the existing indoor and outdoor pools cannot meet demand for such things as swimming lessons.
The Vision-led park board closed the Mount Pleasant Pool despite community outcry to protect the popular neighbourhood watering hole. The pool was demolished in 2009. The small park, located on West 16th and Ontario, was later reopened once the pool was removed, and has a skate park, basketball court and picnic area, all which are busy throughout the year.
The park board is also planning an extensive review of its aquatics services and facilities.
More to come.
