Laurentian swim club pushing to reopen university's pool
The Jeno Tihanyi Olympic Gold Pool at Laurentian University has been the home of the Sudbury Laurentian Swim Club for 50 years, minus the last four due to the facility's closure.
Originally, the pool was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, it has been prolonged due to maintenance issues.
An image of the Jeno Tihanyi Olympic pool prior to its closure in 2020. (Supplied/Laurentian University)
In a letter to Laurentian University President Lynn Wells and City of Greater Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre, the club is asking to participate in the joint planning committee.
"We’ve offered to help with the writing of grants, you know to governments, to help support financial costs to get it open," said Albrecht Schulte-Hostedde, the swim club's vice president.
"You know we’ve done it in the past, obviously, with buying all of the equipment that makes it a competing swimming facility and we just want to keep going with that."
The club said the pool is a vital piece of sports and community infrastructure that needs to be reopened as soon as possible.
"Of course it needs upgrades, no one is going to argue that, but at the end of the day, we need to get our swimmers back in that pool because we’re losing time with them and frankly our club along with any other aquatics clubs that use that pool," Schulte-Hostedde said.
"We’re declining in terms of membership, our financial capacity to pay the kinds of fees that the university is going to be asking us for is declining as each year goes by."
This pool is the only 50-metre Olympic-sized pool north of Toronto.
- Download the CTV News app now
- Get local breaking news alerts
- Daily newsletter with the top local stories emailed to your inbox
Before the closure, the club hosted four to six swim meets a year, something they can no longer do.
"We did a rough calculation that we were bringing in over a million dollars a year to the city in terms of the people coming to the swim meets, staying in the hotels, shopping and that was conservative."
In a statement to CTV News, Wells said:
"We have received the letter from the Sudbury Laurentian Swim Club and very much appreciate their passion and interest. Community groups like theirs are critical to the success of any community facilities and we are glad to know the swim club is here to help. Support from community partners will be an important element of any plan to reopen the Jeno Tihanyi Pool."
Mayor Paul Lefebvre said the city and the university have only met one time since Wells took over at the school and many things were discussed.
"We talked about a number of different things at Laurentian and certainly that came up. They have their own issues with respect to their creditor protection place that they’re in and we’re doing our own review as well," Lefebvre said.
"We all know that that pool is a key infrastructure of our community. So basically now, we're going to have in the fall our own report back about our own infrastructure as a city, right? How do we go about doing something there? And, certainly, it's not ours, it's Laurentian's."
While reopening the pool isn’t listed in the university's annual budget for this year, the board of governors said in February there are plans to bring the pool back into usability within the next five years.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Amber Alert issued for 2 toddlers near Quebec City
Police have issued an Amber Alert for two children who have gone missing from near Quebec City.
Netanyahu acknowledges 'tragic mistake' after Rafah strike kills dozens of Palestinians
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged Monday that a "tragic mistake" had been made after an Israeli strike in the southern Gaza city of Rafah set fire to a tent camp housing displaced Palestinians and, according to local officials, killed at least 45 people.
Mike Tyson had medical issue on cross-country flight
Boxing legend Mike Tyson required medical attention after experiencing an 'ulcer flare up' toward the end of a cross-country flight Sunday, his representatives confirmed to the New York Post.
Why Canada's big grocery stores are under investigation
Amid mounting outrage over high grocery prices, a retail expert says there's a solution to fostering more competition in the country.
Arrests made in 'highly orchestrated' GTA auto theft operation: police
Peel Regional Police say they have arrested 16 suspects and issued arrest warrant for another 10 individuals in connection with an auto theft investigation carried out by a 'highly orchestrated criminal operation.'
Indigo Books & Music shareholders vote to approve privatization sale
Indigo Books & Music Inc. shareholders have voted to approve a deal that will see the retailer become a private company.
Quebec police investigating after entire herd of 75 cattle allegedly stolen
Quebec provincial police are investigating after an entire herd of about 75 cattle were allegedly stolen in the Eastern Townships region last week.
B.C. senior prepares to move due to devastating effects of fraud
A Courtenay, B.C., senior is downsizing and packing to move as she comes to accept she can no longer afford to stay in her home, after falling victim to a scam that robbed her of her life savings worth more than $100,000.
Canada pledges visas for 5,000 Gaza residents related to Canadians
Canada said on Monday it would grant temporary visas to 5,000 Gaza residents under a special program for Canadians' relatives living in the war-torn enclave, a preparatory move in case they are able to leave in the future.