Rally to save pool brings tears and heartfelt pleas
Councillor looks for alternatives but says current facility will close
For 11-year-old Lilla Fayant, the Maple Leaf Outdoor Pool isn’t just a pool.
It’s where she met her best friend. It’s where she spends almost every day during the summer and it’s where she taught her mom to appreciate the beauty of the underwater world.
“I can swim whenever I want because it’s free. I get a lunch. I can stay there all day,” said Fayant with a pair of fogged-up swimming goggles propped up above the rim of her toque.
“It means a lot to a lot of kids,” she said. “It’s all they have sometimes in the summer.”
Tears streamed down her face as she addressed a crowd of about 50 adults and children gathered outside the pool on Saturday morning as part of a rally to protest city council’s recent proposal to shut it down.
Redeveloping Wascana Pool and permanently closing Maple Leaf Outdoor Pool were two of the ideas in the City of Regina’s proposed 2019 operating budget announced last month.
They would be replaced by a new “outdoor destination aquatic facility” in Wascana Centre, pending city council’s approval and community consultations.
The city has said it will provide free bus rides to get kids to the new facility, but concerned residents say that won’t work, especially for parents who don’t want their kids riding the bus alone or for families who can’t afford to go to a pool that costs money.
That’s why the pool, located in Regina’s Heritage neighbourhood (Ward 3), has become a beloved place for low-income families in the area.
“We didn’t have a lot of money in our house,” said Shelley Johnson about when she was a kid. “We had a lot of problems, which a lot of kids have in this area, and so it really provided a safe place and a fun place.”
But more than that, she said the pool was where she developed her character and spirit alongside many of her friends.
Ward 3 Coun. Andrew Stevens criticized the city’s investment in the new Mosaic Stadium rather than in small community recreational facilities, but said at this point, the 72-year old pool is beyond saving.
“One way or the other, this thing is closing this summer,” he said at the rally. “It cannot be saved as it is. The infrastructure has been on the verge of collapse.”
He called the proposed new facility a short term solution to make sure the community is served through kids’ programs and free transit.
“The kids are never go to take the bus!” said one woman in reply.
Stevens said more consultation with the Heritage community is needed in order to make informed decisions on what kind of recreational facilities should be built.
“Some of the research that’s been done in the community suggests that we want other facilities,” he said to a few scoffs from the crowd.
One woman yelled, “We want a pool!”
But Stevens remained steadfast in his message that simply rebuilding the pool as is isn’t the only opinion on the street.
“What I’m going to forward in this budget is a request for an expedited consultation process with the community to figure out what do people want,” said Stevens. “Secondly, what I’m going to ask is that in the 2020 budget, a $4-million placeholder is there to reinvest in this community based on what the community tells us.”
Johnson referred to residents as a “forgotten people.”
“I think it’s very poor planning. In fact it’s no planning,” she said of the city’s “reactive” decision. “We can’t just wait for things to fall down around us downtown and then wonder what we’re going to do about it after.”
Stevens encouraged the crowd to keep engaging with city council and organizing in order to make their voices heard.
Fayant’s mom, Stacey, said the pool isn’t just a haven for kids. As a 40-year-old she said she loves jumping in and having fun with the kids.
While Wascana Pool is within walking distance, Stacey said she often doesn’t finish work until 5 p.m. and the added distance won’t leave much time to enjoy the pool before heading back home for an 8:30 p.m. bedtime.
“I’ve never seen her so broken-hearted,” she said of when she told her daughter the news. “I think that’s how it is for a lot of kids in this neighbourhood. It’s breaking their little hearts.”
City council meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday night to vote on the proposed 2019 operating budget.
If the budget is approved as is, the Maple Leaf site will be redeveloped as a recreational space, in consultation with the community.
The city’s current Recreation Facility Plan suggests a “comprehensive spray pad,” something Stacey said isn’t practical for adults and seniors or for exercise.
The “Save Maple Pool (Again)!” rally organizers are urging residents to contact their city councillor.