Walpole Island could soon get a new YMCA pool and fitness centre at or next to the arena to serve the surrounding area including Wallaceburg.
Random telephone surveys are being done over the next few weeks to find out what the community wants and needs when it comes to recreation and fitness.
Liz Fletcher, YMCA regional VP of operations, says the proposed building would be owned by the municipality and the programs would be run by the YMCA.
Fletcher says the responses will help with the planning of programs and activities in the area, if the community wants them.
"Are we going to put a pool in because that's what we're well known for and we didn't know whether that would be a possibility or whether there would be enough interest. So, in order to understand that, we've launched a market study to understand what the surrounding community is currently involved in, what they have been involved in and what they would like to see," says Fletcher.
Fletcher says each survey will take about ten minutes to complete and all information will be kept confidential.
She says there are no timelines for anything yet, but community consultation is planned to discuss the design of the building.
Timelines should be revealed at the end of the year, if everything goes according to plan.
Fletcher says the survey will let the YMCA know whether the community wants a pool and if people are willing to drive to it.
"We have some great partnerships with some other municipalities at Lambton Shores and North Middlesex where the facility is owned and operated by the municipality but the YMCA operates the programs and services and health and fitness. So, that's what we're considering at Walpole Arena," Fletcher says.
Fletcher says the proposed facility would have great health benefits for the area.
"Unfortunately the one thing we do know quite well in Southwestern Ontario is that we have higher levels of cardiac disease and diabetes and we have higher use of smoking and to combat some of those long-term health issues, we know that health and fitness is a key part of that," says Fletcher.
