Save Centennial Pool update summary
The Save Centennial Pool Committee (SCP) was formed in response to Councillor Waye Mason’s Motion (Item No.15.4.2) from June 28, 2022. It asked city staff to come up with a plan for the ‘Replacement of the 50m Pool in HRM’. It called for the disposal of Centennial Pool. This means selling the land for private development of residential projects. The New Pool would be built off of the peninsula.
The motion and resulting staff report came without any consultation or community engagement with the Centennial Pool Association or our vibrant swimming community, which includes recreational swimmers and aquacisers, along with competitive teams and groups.
Centennial Pool is more than just a building; it’s a cherished public asset in the heart of our city, serving countless community members.
The reason given in the motion to dispose of Centennial Pool is that “it is nearing the end of its useful life”. We uncovered evidence to the contrary. Through FOIPOP (Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act) requests, we obtained city engineering studies and conducted our own longevity assessments. This work clearly demonstrated that Centennial Pool is NOT near its end!
With this information, the Save Centennial Pool Committee launched a public campaign. We organized a petition and created a dedicated website, savecentennialpool.ca .
The support we received was overwhelming, with hundreds rallying behind us. We received a lot of positive media attention.
In January and February, we presented our findings to the HRM Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED) Committee. We proposed a bold vision: instead of replacing Centennial Pool, why not enhance it and add a new 50m pool as an expansion of aquatic facilities in HRM? An additional pool would help meet the needs of our fast-growing population.
This approach would not only preserve a beloved community resource but also allow for the development of an urban park stretching from the Cogswell redevelopment to the Halifax Common, benefiting all residents.
Imagine partnering with local schools and senior facilities to enhance programming. Picture additional public amenities – pickleball courts, yoga studios, an arts performance space, and even health clinics. This would create an inclusive hub, accessible to all, rather than handing our public assets over to private development.
While we advocated for this vision, HRM Council approved the Staff Report, Centennial Pool Replacement Planning (Item No. 13.1.2 Feb.15/24). The report is focused on planning for a replacement pool not an additional pool. The report recommended the Training and Competition Aquatic Facility Study (TCAFS) to determine the location of a new 50m pool.
Despite our efforts, Council remains unconvinced of the need to preserve Centennial Pool and add a new pool.
Of concern with the new Facilities Study is that HRM has engaged with Swim Nova Scotia – representing primarily competitive swimmers – while excluding the local swimming community and/or the Centennial Pool Association. Why is our beloved pool not considered a stakeholder in these discussions? Why are we not at the table advocating for the public interest?
During the past summer, we were thinking that there was no longer a sense of urgency with the Facilities Study. It was not expected to come back to HRM Council until maybe mid 2025 or later.
Then …
The Downtown Gateway Comprehensive Plan came before Council in August 2024. It revealed that the city has already planned to dispose of Centennial Pool, favoring development and a new replacement pool NOT an additional pool. This plan, completed by city planners and an outside consulting agency was completed in February 2023. It was crafted without our input, without public engagement.
This is where the alarm bells ring. When public land is prioritized for private development, we lose vital community assets (i.e. Bloomfield, St. Pat’s Alexandra, St Pat’s High)
The Gateway Plan sketches out a landscape filled with high-rise towers, bicycle and pedestrian pathways and public plazas, 1200 residential units and 1900 parking spaces – yet it conspicuously lacks Centennial Pool.
The message is clear: our city planners decided a long time ago that Centennial Pool was disposable. It is not even considered in the 86-page report.
The Gateway Plan, as it is written, means the end of Centennial Pool in the next few years. The Gateway Plan disregards the real value of Centennial Pool:
- It ignores the public need for accessible and affordable facilities.
- It disregards the health and wellness benefits that our pool provides.
- It fails to consider the pool’s heritage and cultural significance.
- It neglects the environmental impact of tearing it down and building more concrete and glass towers.
The Gateway Plan is the bulldozer waiting in the parking lot. It is only a matter of time. It is not going to come down before a new 50m Pool is in place. But it will come down, if the Gateway Plan, as it is written, becomes a reality unless the Centennial Pool Association, the local swimming community and the public convince HRM to Save Centennial Pool.
The Path Forward?
- Become stakeholders in the New Facilities Study to ensure a new 50m pool is an addition, not a replacement.
- Engage in the Gateway Project discussions to explore the idea of an urban park as a public asset that includes Centennial Pool.
- Become involved in the upcoming municipal elections, making Save Centennial Pool is a key issue—several candidates already support us.
- Relaunch our public campaign to raise awareness and drive momentum.
We need YOUR input and support. As a small group of volunteers, we can’t fight this battle alone. Together, we can make a difference. Let’s Save Centennial Pool—for our community, for our health, and for our future.