After 72 years, it might be time to either replace the public pool in Windsor's Lanspeary Lions Park or fill it in.
The pool didn't open this summer, and a report to Windsor City Council details a long list of needed repairs. However, the administration does not recommend repairing it. Instead, it suggests replacing the facility with a more modern, accessible amenity for $7-million.
The city built the pool and the building housing change rooms in 1950. Since then, the city has installed a liner to prevent leaks. The liner was repaired in 2015 but is no longer effective. The gutter surrounding the pool has deteriorated, and the filtration tank is at the end of its lifecycle. There is also a leak in the return system, and the brace securing the piping is failing.
The pool no longer meets the Ontario Building Code or Ministry of Health standards.
"Operating the pool in its current condition is no longer possible, and the ability to repair the pool is not an option due to its age," said a report to councillors.
Outdoor Pool design has come a long way since 1950. Newer ones in the city are fully accessible and include more safety features, including zero-depth or beach entries. Finding appropriate programming for the Lanspeary Lions Pool is challenging, and it doesn't get used as often. Recreational swims attract just 3,500 to 5,200 swimmers each summer.
To make the pool a family and event destination, the report recommends an L-shaped design with a beach entry, diving board, and water slide. A conceptual redesign also suggests moving the deep end to the point furthest from the change rooms to protect young swimmers. Shade structures would protect spectators from the sun, and change rooms would meet current accessibility specifications.
While completing the entire project at once would be most cost-effective, but the city has to consider funding. Instead, the administration recommends doing it in three phases. Replacing the pool in phase one would cost $3-million. Phase two, replacing the building that houses the change rooms and mechanical equipment, would cost another $3-million, and $1-million in phase three would cover the new water slide and shade structures.
