By Bryan Eneas

Group lobbying to save Marion Aquatics Pool

Nov 28, 2017 | 4:00 PM

A group of residents who use Marion Aquatics Pool for their daily exercise is lobbying the city to take over operations of the building to keep the facility running.

The pool is currently operated by the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary, who also operate Rivier Academy, which is going through its own set of changes. The Sisters are seeking retirement according to Cynthia Stahl, one of three women who wrote a letter to city council about the facility. On Nov. 27, the letter was read during an executive committee meeting which Stahl said drew a crowd of roughly 60 users and at least one person from every class offered at Marion Aquatics Pool.

“The Sisters, they need to have it closed,” Stahl said over the phone to paNOW. “The building, it’s not being used as a school anymore, so there’s no one to take the pool over. Any of the tenants on the other side, they haven’t expressed interest in having the pool.”

Stahl said the Sisters plan on shutting the facility down in June should no one be found to continue operations. She said if the Marion Aquatics Pool closes, she and her friends will be without a viable exercise program.

“Going to the regular gym just isn’t an option, and the water exercises is what works for us,” Stahl said. “By the numbers, you can see, there are a lot of ladies who take advantage of this swimming.”

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Stahl said she would try to get into aquasize classes at the Frank J. Dunn Swimming Pool, but said she feels that facility couldn’t handle the volume of people who use both facilities.

“The amount of users just will not be able to transfer over to the Frank J. Dunn facility. There’s not enough hours in the day,” Stahl said.

The letter to city hall sent by Stahl, Rosemary Smyth and Meg Shatilla outlined the number of residents who use Marion Aquatics Pool for swimming lessons and other activities.

Registrations for classes currently offered at the pool show 159 of 180 spaces were filled for children’s programing. The February break period already has 110 of 134 spaces booked, and 134 registrations are on record for the Easter break.

Infant and Me Aquafit classes have filled 34 of 40 registrations. Fall aquacize classes have 220 of 265 spaces booked. Twenty-five of 50 adult swimming lessons and lane swimming spots have been booked according to the letter.

According to the group’s letter, in the summer months of 2015 to 2017, 1,680 children attended swimming lessons. Stahl also outlined a public safety benefit to the swimming lessons.

“This being lake country, it’s just so important to have our little ones educated,” Stahl said. “For the swimming lessons to come in, and the water safety… It’s really important for our kids to have those lessons.”

Ward 3 Councillor Evert Botha said the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary have kept the pool running for the better part of 40 years. He said there is potential for the city to partner with the Sisters, or a new partner who will operate the facility to ensure it remains open.

He called the Marion Aquatics Pool a great facility which people can use at almost any time of day.

“The hours of operation at the Frank Dunn are obviously tailored to ensure the pool has access during school hours, so the schedule there doesn’t accommodate everyone,” Botha said. “I do believe with another facility, the schedule can be created that can facilitate and accommodate most of our residents.”

He said city officials are waiting on a proposal to come forward from the community services department which will determine the costs of running the facility to the taxpayers of Prince Albert. The city budget is working its way through the approval process; Botha said he’s unsure if the Marion Aquatics Pool proposal will be tabled in time for the final budget approval.

Stahl said the group lobbying on behalf of residents who use Marion Aquatic Pool’s services are not done. The next step is to rally support among residents in the R.M.’s surrounding Prince Albert who use the facility; a petition will follow to show city staff how much support the aquatic center has.

Bryan.Eneas@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @BryanEneas