Calgary council votes to keep dilapidated Inglewood pool afloat
CBC
Calgary city council reversed its decision to close the Inglewood Aquatic Centre Friday.
Council voted 12-3 in favour of reconsidering the pool's closure, previously set for Dec. 22.
Councillors Jennifer Wyness, Raj Dhaliwal and Evan Spencer voted to keep the pool closed.
The aquatic centre has been described previously as being "miles from great shape," "falling apart" and a "bag of bricks" that needed to be shut down because of major issues with the building's electrical system and its age.
The Inglewood Aquatic Centre was built in the 1960s, and the city says it has exceeded its expected lifespan by more than 20 years already.
It's estimated repairs would cost about $600,000 and require the building to close for three months. There is also a chance that further problems with the building would be discovered.
City council voted to close the pool in 2019 as part of a larger budget reduction, citing unsustainable long-term operating costs and low usage.
In 2021, residents convinced the city to keep the aquatic centre going until construction work to expand the MNP Community and Sport Centre was finished. That work began in September and is expected to finish in late 2026.
In October, council voted 8-7 to shut the facility down, a decision that was reversed Friday.
Ward 10 Coun. Andre Chabot said with the MNP expansion still years away from completion, Calgary doesn't have many pools, and keeping Inglewood's open will give people more options to swim.
He clarified however, that the city still intends to shut the pool down eventually.
"Essentially, we've just given it a little bit of a extra lifeblood, so to speak," Chabot said.
"There's no life safety issues associated with the pool. And for a nominal investment, we can keep this place in operation at least until MNP comes into into operation."
When asked about the possibility of keeping the pool open after the MNP centre is fully functioning, Chabot wasn't sure.
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