Sudbury’s indoor pools are old, outdated and costly to maintain, study concludes
While not yet wading into the dangerous waters of closing community pools, a report on the state of city-owned pools in Greater Sudbury found they are old, costly and don’t conform to modern standards.
The report, headed to city council Dec. 5, is the first phase of a major review of the city-owned aquatic facilities. While Phase 2 will include recommendations on whether any pools should close, Phase 1 only assesses their current state.
“The primary purpose of the … review is to assess the current state of publicly funded indoor, beaches and splash pads and to create a strategy informed by community engagement to guide the city’s aquatic system for the next 25 years,” the report said.
The city owns five indoor pools, all of which are more than 40 years old, with an average age of 49 years: Gatchell Pool and Nickel District Pool in Sudbury; Howard Armstrong Recreation Centre Pool in Valley East; Onaping Pool; and, R.G. Dow Pool in Copper Cliff.
Sudbury also has seven public beaches and 17 splash pads, many of which were built in the last decade.
“All municipal pools are traditional 25-metre rectangular tanks (except the Onaping Pool, which is much smaller) and most are not fully barrier-free,” the report said.
“Further, three of the city’s five pools are stand-alone facilities that are not part of multi-use recreation centres, limiting their operational benefits and relevance to residents.”
Because of their age, not only are they expensive to maintain, but are also at risk of unplanned closures.
Pool visits in Greater Sudbury over the years. (Info from Greater Sudbury)
The review comes at an important time, since Laurentian University closed its Olympic-sized pool and the Sudbury YMCA, which has a pool built in 2000, has said it is “financially unstable.”
Sudbury’s changing demographics also play a role. The report said the biggest users of indoor pools are children and seniors. From 2021-2051, the number of people living in the city older than age 60 is expected to grow by 34 per cent.
“On this basis, the city can expect to see significantly more demand in the future for services oriented towards seniors compared to other age groups,” the report said.
USAGE HAS DECLINED SINCE 2010
Usage of local pools has been declining since 2010 and took a particularly hard hit during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“While the Howard Armstrong pool experienced a decrease of swim visits by -30 per cent from 2010 to 2022, it continues to be the most visited municipal indoor pool,” the report said.
“The Onaping Pool experienced a decrease of -41 per cent from 2010 to 2022 and remains to be the least utilized pool in the system.”
The cost of capital work needed to keep all five pools open is estimated at $17.7 million over the next 10 years. The cost to do regular maintenance and other work on the pools for the next decade is more than $600,000 per year.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Currently, the city budgets $62,000 for pool maintenance.
The full Phase 1 report can be found here and here. It goes to city council Dec. 5.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6976926.1721883767!/httpImage/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.png)
AS IT HAPPENED Wildfire reaches Jasper Wednesday night, causes 'significant loss'
One of two wildfires threatening Jasper National Park reached the townsite Wednesday night and caused 'significant loss.'
Alberta calls in army to assist with wildfire situation
Alberta has called in the Canadian Armed Forces to help assist with the worsening wildfire situation in the province.
Biden explains why he ended re-election bid in Oval Office address
U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday delivered a solemn call to voters to defend the country's democracy as he laid out in an Oval Office address his decision to drop his bid for reelection and throw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.
Barrie-Innisfil MPP 'blacked-out' and crashed car into window of child care centre
Staff at a Barrie child care centre say they are frustrated by what they call a local MPP's inadequate response after a car crashed through a window in one of the toddler rooms.
Norad intercepts Russian and Chinese bombers operating together near Alaska in apparent first
The North American Aerospace Defence Command (Norad) intercepted two Russian and two Chinese bombers flying near Alaska Wednesday in what appears to be the first time the two countries have been intercepted while operating together.
2 Canadians being 'sent home immediately,' removed from Olympic team after drone incident
An analyst and an assistant coach with Canada Soccer are being removed from the Canadian Olympic Team and 'sent home immediately,' according to the Canadian Olympic Committee.
An unwelcome attendee has joined the Paris Olympic Games: COVID-19
After a handful of Australian water polo players tested positive for COVID-19 this week, questions have emerged around how the spread of the disease will be mitigated at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
Vacations, meals, booze: Contractor used $100K of charity's money for personal expenses, B.C. court finds
A B.C. man who was hired to help a non-profit build a food hub but instead spent the money on personal expenses – including travel, restaurants, booze and cannabis – has been ordered to pay more than $120,000 in damages.
Male, female killed, 2 others injured in 'gun battle' outside Toronto plaza: police
Two people are dead and two others suffered serious injuries following a shooting that police have described as a 'gun battle' outside a plaza in Scarborough, Ont. early Wednesday morning.