With the referendum on the proposed new swimming pool and fire hall coming up on Saturday, there seem to be a lot of unanswered questions. I believe the majority of the people want the new pool but where it is proposed to be built is the big issue and may be the main cause of its defeat.
That would be the purchase of The Day's Inn. I do not believe the cost of $35 million for the new pool includes the cost of the hotel purchase.
Rumour would have it that purchase adds another $6 million to the initial cost. That also does not include demolishing the building. That is an old building and probably is full of asbestos, which would add probably another $2-3 million.
There would still be a huge lack of parking for the pool, plus we would have one less perfectly good hotel.
Then there is the issue of demolishing the old pool and the old fire hall.
Demolishing those two facilities would be a few more million and if they are full of asbestos, millions more.
Also, will they put a badly needed parking lot where the old pool is now?
A parking lot there would serve the new pool and the Civic Centre.
I would prefer to see about $10 million put into the old pool, which would then last another 20 years.
A new pool would have to be updated in 20 years anyway and would cost just as much or more.
I am a frequent user of the Four Seasons Pool, and with proper updates and better handicapped features, it would be a perfectly good pool.
Stuart Dick
Prince George
