Prince Albert Pikes artistic swimmers in the pool pre-COVID restrictions. (Submitted photo/Shannan Schlamp)

By Alison Sandstrom

Local sports

Artistic swim club looking for better access to swim times to grow sport in P.A.

Apr 23, 2021 | 12:53 PM

A local artistic swim club is appealing to the Prince Albert city council for better access to the city-operated Frank J. Dunn Pool. The Prince Albert Pikes hope improved practice times and better rates will help them grow the sport in the city.

Currently, the Prince Albert Pikes train at Marion Aquatics, but club president Shannon Schlamp told council the cost of using the facility is prohibitive. Meanwhile, Prince Albert’s other, larger swim club, the P.A. Sharks have “a monopoly” on pool time at the city-operated Frank J. Dunn Pool, she said.

Schlamp said the Pikes were paying between $2,100 to $2,700 per month to swim at Marion Aquatics, compared to the Sharks who pay $11,000 per year to use the Frank J. Dunn.

“They’re swimming at half the cost that we’re swimming,” she said, explaining the Pikes are finding it difficult to grow their club.

Prince Albert Pikes artistic swimmers pose for a photo pre-COVID restrictions. (Submitted photo/Shannon Schlamp)

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“We have to either increase our fees so it’s an elitist club, which we simply don’t want to be…or we have to just have a ton of members,” she said, adding the latter is difficult because of the limited 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. swim times currently available to them at Marion Aquatics.

“How many parents are off work to drive their seven-year-olds to swimming at 4 o’ clock,” Schlamp continued.

Coun. Blake Edwards said he understood the Pike’s concerns.

“It’s so important to have sports at a lower cost because let’s face it, we’ve got to have active kids or we’re in trouble,” Edwards said.

While Edwards said he “didn’t know the solution,” council voted to forward the Pike’s correspondence to the city’s community services department.

“They [community services] can bring that forward and talk about possible solutions on what we can do,” Edwards said.

Speaking to paNOW after the meeting, Schlamp said the Pikes are hopeful the city can work something out in time for the start of their next season in the fall.

“We just really want what we feel is equal access,” she said.

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alison.sandstrom@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @alisandstrom