Committee shelves plan for Wascana Pool elevator
A dream to build an elevator for the sky-high waterslides at Wascana Pool has been shelved for the time being in favour of more widespread accessibility upgrades.
An after-the-fact elevator would cost about $1 million and absorb all capital funding set aside in the Adapted Recreation Plan for 2024 and 2025, city administration explained to executive committee Wednesday.
Administration urged the committee to use that money to pursue accessibility upgrades at five other city facilities instead. A new directive to design a high accessible waterslide at the new Indoor Aquatic Centre was also suggested.
Members voted 9-1 in favour of the recommendations, with final approval to come from city council on April 10. Coun. Terina Nelson (Ward 7) voted against and Coun. Landon Mohl (Ward 10) was absent.
The updated $1-million figure for the Wascana Pool elevator came up during budget talks in December, double the $550,000 cost presented six months earlier. City council initially approved the elevator at the lower price.
A suggestion to forego the elevator altogether in favour of smaller upgrades at other facilities in December led to an outburst from Nelson, who accused city staff and fellow councillors of “playing political games.”
Mayor Sandra Masters said after the meeting she “got close” to having Nelson removed for her language.
The request was instead sent back for more discussion with stakeholders, which ended up being “a very difficult engagement process” for both city staff and members of the public who were surveyed, according to Deb Bryden, deputy city manager of city planning and community development.
“A lot of our facilities were designed decades ago, and we have a lot of work to do to bring them up to today's accessibility standards. Participants in the research found the question a difficult one to answer,” she said Wednesday.
“They recognized that choosing one priority over another is choosing one person's needs over another's.”
One quarter of respondents to the survey and focus group participants indicated a preference to see both options pursued, which would require an additional $875,000.
But most preferred the idea of upgrading five facilities, as it would serve more people in a year-round capacity.
The five facilities identified for upgrades are Cathedral Neighbourhood Centre, Doug Wickenheiser Arena, North West Leisure Centre, Sandra Schmirler Leisure Centre and Al Ritchie Arena.
Improvements include the addition of assistive listening technology, washroom upgrades, new wayfinding signage at all facilities, plus a ramp for Cathedral Neighbourhood Centre and power operated doors for select entrances at the other four centres.
Administration said the engagement done in February provided “many leanings and connections” that can be applied instead to the new indoor aquatics facility to fulfil the desire for such an amenity in Regina.
“It's great that we're going to start out the proper way with the indoor pool, I'm excited about that,” Nelson said after a long debate Wednesday.