Someone recently told me about a fellow who had just moved to Prince George from Edmonton.
He was a triathlete who trained at the Y in Edmonton. So, he went to the local Y, checked in, got a locker, donned his bathing trunks and orange swim cap. With his towel over his arm he proceeded to walk through the hallways at the YMCA on Massey looking for the swimming pool.
He got a few strange looks.
Finally, he asked someone where the pool was. When he was told that there wasn't one, he was flabbergasted that he was in a Y that didn't have a pool.
Pools and Ys are synonymous.
This must be one of the few Ys north and south of the border that doesn't have a swimming pool.
According to a 1972 Prince George Citizen, YM-YWCA President Lloyd Clay had a vision for the development of the Y when he addressed the AGM in March of that year. A major feature of his vision to create a new facility included the all-important swimming pool.
Shortly thereafter, Desmond Parker was given the task of designing the facility. It was opened in September 1975. But what happened to the pool? Normal Y dreams, but no money. Over 40 years later, our local Y has had an addition to the building, but still no pool.
What is wrong with this picture?
In my opinion, everything.
We were recently told that the city has an important decision to make about something that was not on the list.
The Four Seasons Leisure Pool is 46 years old and gets plenty of use with more than 115,000 person-visits a year.
An aquatic needs assessment was done in 2016.
It provided three options ranging from a cost of $35 million to as high as $63 million if the suggested upgrades to the Aquatic Centre are also done.
The city was in a shock. Just when some thought we had started to catch up, we slid two steps backwards.
I favour one of those. I do not believe in pouring good money after bad.
We cannot afford to inconvenience swimmers in this community for up to two years by having only one operational pool.
I support the option to build a new pool in a different location and tear the old pool down when it is completed.
For those who believe in standards, Prince George is already underserviced by pools. The common standard varies from one pool for 20,000 to 25,000 people. That means that Prince George is still underserviced.
The idea of demolishing the Four Seasons pool and then building a replacement in the same location is not appealing given those standards.
Pools belong in downtown hotels and apartments.
Simple, single-purpose public swimming pools are from a bygone era. Modern aquatic recreation facilities are in multipurpose buildings or, better still, in multipurpose buildings surrounded by a variety of other sports and physical recreation fields.
Carrie Jane Gray Park is such a place.
The recreation park has the advantage of being centrally located adjacent to perimeter downtown housing, shopping, restaurants, entertainment and is well serviced by arterial roads and public transit.
As it happens it is also the location of the YMCA of Northern BC.
It is that very same Y which must be feeling naked without its traditional pool.
A partnership of the city with the Y would fill the bill and would result in those visitors and newcomers being able to get wet in a pool rather than wandering around the hallways.
If I was queen and knowing that we do not meet acceptable public pool standards, there would also be one in College Heights.
Swimming is for everyone, from babies to our seniors.
We need to seriously look at the report and pressure city hall to engage the citizens it serves in a "talkaquatics" session.
