After a close vote, the Thames Park Pool will no longer be open in London, Ontario. The decision ignores the interests of a community group in saving the pool.
According to CBC News the eight-seven vote, which reflected those in favor of decommissioning and those against, was made while Old South Community Organization members (OSCO) were writing to the council to ask for approval of costly repairs to a pool. The organization was to pay for these repairs using private funds that were not declared.
The report also explains that the pool was originally scheduled to be decommissioned this spring, based on a report by staff which recommended against a reconstruction due to the location of the pool being unsafe. The community’s support for this popular public space halted the closure of the pool while staff assessed further repairs.
Two weeks ago the staff reviewed the results and revealed that the pool had suffered more damage than originally planned. Global News reported that the damage to the pool has increased from $300,000-$600,000. The initial estimates of repair have been greatly increased.
According to the CBC News, Shawn Lewis, the deputy mayor, decided to bring back decommissioning as an option due to the inflated cost of repairs and the concern that it would not last a single winter.
The President of OSCO, spoke to CBC News and expressed her disappointment at the decision. She said that the community would be without a pool for many years before a new site can be planned.
She says, “The city’s history is one of shutting down infrastructure and not building any new infrastructure for years or decades.” The pool has been decommissioned and no other location for it is known. The motion does not have a timeline. The ambiguity in that motion is what causes alarm among the community.”
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