Taking a deep dive into Acadia University's decision to close its pool
CBC
Three times a week, 91-year-old Shirley Marston drives seven minutes to go for a morning swim at the Acadia Athletics Complex in Wolfville, N.S.
She usually does about 24 lengths and goes to a local coffee shop afterwards with some friends, including some who exercise at the recreation facility. Swimming is good for her mind and body, she says.
But by next Sunday, Marston's routine will change when Acadia University closes its 58-year-old pool.
"I have a few things in my mind, but I don't know whether they'll work or not," she said. "But right now, I'll keep trying to find a place to swim."
The nearest indoor pools to Wolfville are in Windsor, Waterville and Greenwood.
In February, the Annapolis Valley university announced it was closing the pool, citing persistent annual deficits and a lengthy list of needed repairs. As well, the university said prolonging the pool's life would require a two-year shutdown.
The announced closure came as a shock to many. But reports prepared for the Town of Wolfville and the Municipality of the County of Kings have for years cautioned that the pool's days were numbered.
A 2022 regional recreational centre feasibility study prepared for the county noted the pool is "outdated and functionally is unable to meet the needs and expectations of patrons." The report said it was reasonable to assume the pool might close in three to five years.
A 2015 report prepared for the town noted the pool required resources to maintain that were beyond the scope of the university and the town.
Wolfville Mayor Jodi MacKay said it's been convenient for the town to have a non-government entity like the university operate a pool used extensively by community members.
"It's always harder to move faster when you have an option that's already there for you," she said. "And now that there isn't an option, it kind of does light that fire under us."
MacKay, who served two terms as a town councillor before being elected mayor last fall, said discussions about the need for a new pool go back as long as she was on council, but only really heated up in the past four years, along with the discussion about a regional recreation complex.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the housing crisis just complicated matters.
"We're a small municipality, so ... we only have a limited number of staff and a limited budget," said MacKay. "So we do the best we can with what we have."
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