Inglewood residents rally to save doomed swimming pool

A group of Inglewood residents rallied Saturday to try and save their local swimming pool, which is set to be closed permanently by the City of Calgary at the end of the year.

The Inglewood Aquatic Centre will shutter for good on Dec. 22.

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 facility open until construction work to expand the MNP Community and Sport Centre was finished. That work began in September and is expected to complete in late 2026.

However, in May, the city found major issues with the building's electrical system that would eventually doom the aquatic centre. Repairs would cost an estimated $600,000 and require a three-month long closure, along with a chance that further repairs would be needed because of the building's age, prompting the move to scrap the facility sooner.

The Inglewood Aquatic Centre was built in the 1960s. The city said it has exceed its expected lifespan by more than 20 years.

There is still some red tape to clear before the pool is shut down. Council procedure dictates the closure of a facility is within the authority of the chief administrative officer, and city administration is now seeking confirmation of the Dec. 22 closure via vote from council which is expected on Tuesday, Oct. 8.

The land was given to the city decades ago on the condition that it operate a pool on the site, but if that ever changed, the land would revert back to its original owner.

With the city unwilling to continue operating a pool on that land, it will be given back to Marchese Holdings Ltd. to be used as part of the proposed redevelopment of the area, which is being led by Matco Development Corp.

Staff at the Inglewood Aquatic Centre will be transferred to other recreational facilities, and the city is working with swim clubs to relocate them to other pools.

Inglewood resident Fiona McKenzie, an organizer of the rally to save the pool, told CBC News she feels the city broke its promise to keep the pool open until the expansion of the MNP Community and Sport Centre was finished. 

"There's just many different demographics of people that are not going to be going to this big recreational centre that is busy and loud, and so it will be a big loss," McKenzie said.

She noted the cost of a single day admission to MNP is more than double that of the Inglewood Aquatic Centre, and with construction work impacting available parking, MNP does not allow drop-ins during its member hours — between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Monday to Friday.

McKenzie said rally goers are asking to keep the Inglewood pool open as long as possible, even suggesting taking a portion of the city's $57.5 million investment into MNP to go toward maintaining the Inglewood facility until MNP is ready to accommodate more people.