The city is working to reopen the Glen Cairn outdoor swimming pool in London by June
After sitting empty last summer due to necessary upgrades, the Glen Cairn outdoor swimming pool in London is tentatively scheduled to be repaired and reopened for swimming this summer.
count. Hadleigh McAlister, whose Ward 1 includes the popular pool on Chippendale Crescent in the southeast of the city, said staff plan to repair the pool in the coming months.
“It’s going to take some time, but they’ve got the money and resources set aside to do it,” McAlister said. “I have regular conversations with city officials to make sure we get it open because it’s very important to the community, I hear that all the time.”
McAlister said the list of pool repairs needed is extensive and includes work to improve the pool’s surface, mechanics and plumbing.
“It needs an overhaul pretty much everywhere,” he said.
Last year the city offered free swim passes and free scheduled bus rides to South London Community Pool for people affected by the closure.
The pool is expected to open to the public in June.
No word yet on Thames Pool
The status of another popular outdoor pool that also failed to open last summer is less clear: Thames Pool in the Old South.
A consultant’s report on the repairs needed for that pool is expected to come to council next month.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Thames pool saw about 25,000 users in a season. In 2021, about 10,000 people used the swimming pool. The Glen Cairn pool saw about 3,000 users before the pandemic and 2,500 in 2021.
In 2019, the city’s parks and recreation department released its master plan, warning that the removal of community pools associated with the now-closed Silverwood and Glen Cairn arenas “should be considered”.
The same report also says that the municipality should think carefully before spending money to repair other communal outdoor pools.
“The viability and use of the two remaining older community pools within the inventory (Northridge and Oakridge) and associated support buildings should be evaluated before major capital repairs are made,” the report said.
In a statement to CBC News, Jon-Paul McGonigle, the city’s director of recreation and sports, said it’s too early to comment on the pools, but said staff are working to address the repair issues.
“We recognize how important swimming pools are to the community and we appreciate the patience of Londoners as we work diligently to solve these infrastructure problems,” he said. “We are doing everything we can to keep the community informed of any updates well in advance of the summer season.”
.