Vancouver needs more community pools, not fewer
Plan to close two facilities is wrong-headed, Steacy Alexander, Elizabeth Herejk and Tom Perry write.
Flabbergasted: to be overcome with surprise and bewilderment.
On Dec. 11 the Vancouver park board will meet to consider its “VanSplash” aquatics strategy. While VanSplash contains many exciting elements, at least 4,000 flabbergasted swimmers have already communicated to the parks board their bewilderment over its plan to reduce neighbourhood recreational opportunities by demolition of the Lord Byng and Templeton pools.
How can a city that aspires to be the world’s “greenest” want to force residents to travel to centralized recreation facilities?
A remarkable grassroots movement has arisen at both pools representing everyone from parents of infants and children to some of the oldest Vancouverites. We include serious lane-swimmers, elderly Aquafit participants, kayakers, sauna and hot-tub loafers, people with significant disabilities, new immigrants and Vancouver lifers. One love we all share is reducing our stress, keeping healthy and interacting with each other in facilities near where we live.
All three of us have worked for decades in health care. We understand how important physical fitness is for maintaining health. One of us has referred many patients to Lord Byng pool specifically for rehabilitation from injuries or after surgery. As the population ages and chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and neurodegenerative conditions explode, what sane society would vote to reduce public recreation opportunities?
Many of our fellow swimmers, including families with young children, are intimidated by giant pools like Hillcrest or Kits. People who use wheelchairs, crutches or find high noise levels intolerable need facilities that are friendly and welcoming to them, too.
On one recent Saturday, 19 people age 40-83, who have various injuries or disabilities, were at Lord Byng pool at one time. Some are recovering from hip, knee or shoulder replacements. One younger person had a stroke, some have multiple sclerosis or cerebral palsy, and some severe osteoarthritis. We know of four people who used Lord Byng pool to help get off opioids for chronic pain.
People like this aren’t able to get to a pool outside of their neighbourhood, whether due to the pain and difficulty of getting into a car or onto a bus, inability to drive or from not owning a car.
Each Vancouver neighbourhood, wealthy or less so, is home to many people with mobility issues who need to exercise. Many don’t tolerate land-based exercise. A destination pool with excellent disabled access means nothing to people who can’t get to it.
The same people may find it difficult to attend park board meetings or write letters, and are less likely to be present in parks or at open houses when VanSplash does surveys. That’s why we’re trying to help speak for them, as well as the kids, parents, and working people who all love and appreciate our neighbourhood pools.
Vancouver’s city-planning objectives declare the intention of “creating neighbourhoods where people can work and play” and “minimizing our dependence on cars.” The parks board mission “strives to minimize our footprint … to reduce carbon emissions.” Sacrificing our local pools in favour of “destination” pools would encourage people to leave their neighbourhoods and travel farther in cars.
VanSplash proposes more “destination pools” and diverse modern facilities.
We say, bring them on.
But don’t do it at the price of beloved and thriving community swimming pools that so many Vancouverites rely on for our mental and physical health. If we need more funds to support community recreation, let’s all make it a priority not only for municipal government, but for the provincial and federal government as well.
Is “health care” really limited to sickness care?
If you share our concern about local recreation opportunities, please register to let the park board know what you think on Dec. 11. Don’t let them close our local pools. For more information, see our ByngSplash website: byngsplash.wordpress.com.
You can register to state your views on Dec. 11 at: vancouver.ca/your-government/parkboard-meetings-and-decisions.aspx.