Community Planning and Economic Development Standing Committee (CPED) Meeting & Staff Report: 2024-02-17
The long awaited Staff Report from the Motion, ‘Replacement of 50m pool” by Councillor Waye Mason and seconded by Councillor Lindell Smith was presented at the CPED standing Committee meeting on Feb.15/24. The original motion called for the development of a new 50m pool and for the potential disposal of Centennial for Economic Development. The Save Centennial Pool Committee (Trevor Brumwell) responded to the report with comments and proposed additional Alternatives (attached is our written response). Bette El-Hawary (Swim Nova Scotia) and several pool supporters, Donna Saulnier (Tanya Arnold), Julie Post, Jill Anderson and Jim Parsons) also spoke passionately about Centennial Pool and the reasons it must be saved. Janet Stevenson read a supporting letter from former Councillor Sheila Fougere.
The report, titled ‘Centennial Pool Replacement Planning’ proposed that a new Training and Competition Aquatic Facility Study (TCAFS) with a different scope be conducted. This would determine how and where the new 50m pool would be built.
It is interesting that this new proposed report does NOT target Centennial Pool for disposal. In fact, the 3rd Alternative in the report is “ take no action with respect to Centennial Pool replacement planning at this time”. The CPED Councillors voted to accept this Alternative and the new TCAFS.
This is a very positive outcome for the Save Centennial Pool Committee and the local Centennial swimming community supporters. We believe that our campaign of public engagement has had some influence on the change in the outcome of the original motion.
The Save Centennial Pool Community group needs to be vigilant and is willing to work with city staff on this new TCAFS. We are hopeful that real meaningful public engagement will be involved in this study. We will continue to recommend that HRM needs a new 50m pool not as a replacement of Centennial but in addition to Centennial.
Keep Swimming,
Trevor Brumwell
Save Centennial Pool Committee
savecentennialpool.ca
savecentennialpool@gmail.com
Links
- Centennial Pool Replacement Planning Recommendation (CPED PDF) 2024-02-15
- Centennial Pool Replacement Planning Presentation (CPED PDF) 2024-02-15
- CPED Meeting (video) 2024-02-15
Media coverage:
- “No pool in Halifax or Nova Scotia meets standards for Canada Games” CTV News – Jesse Thomas
- “Group wants Halifax to save Centennial, build another 50-metre pool in HRM” The Halifax Examiner – Suzanne Rent
- Centennial Pool coverage from Global News at 6 with Zach Power (starts @ 3:50 minutes into the show)