Murdine McCreath says she's among around 90 women who use Marion Aquatics regularly for aquasize. (Alison Sandstrom/paNOW Staff)

By Alison Sandstrom

Impending closure

Pool users want city to take over operation of Marion Aquatics

Jun 2, 2021 | 4:00 PM

A group of residents fighting to keep Marion Aquatics open has taken their case to Prince Albert city council.

In early May, the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary announced they would be closing Marion Aquatics— the facility they have run since its construction in 1977— at the end of June.

Now a coalition of pool users wants the city to step in and take over operations until Prince Albert’s new aquatic centre opens. An online petition on the subject has collected nearly 900 signatures.

On Monday night, council heard from a pair of seniors who are regular users of the facility.

Murdine McCreath told council there were 19,825 visits to Marion Aquatics in 2019— most of them for aquacise classes and swimming lessons.

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“I challenge you to find a facility that’s that well used,” McCreath, who visits the pool twice a week for aquacise, said.

She noted the Prince Albert Pikes Artistic Swimming Club also requires the facility for practice.

“If this pool this pool closes, the Frank J. Dunn pool cannot absorb all these people,” her fellow presenter Alma Newman said. “You’re going to build a brand-new aquatic centre three years out, and half the users of it won’t have been swimming. That’s pretty bad planning as far as I’m concerned.”

Citing publicly available CRA documents, Newman said in 2019 Marion Aquatics cost around $350,000 to run. The city gave $143,000 as part of an annual subsidy, and the pool collected nearly $200,000 in user fees.

“Do the math, [it] didn’t cost a lot of money,” she said.

Acknowledging expenses would likely go up if it was a city-operated facility, Newman said she wouldn’t mind paying more on her taxes to cover it.

“I know you have to be fiscally responsible,” she said. “But the Marion Aquatics is a drop in the bucket, we’re spending millions of dollars on new land and developments of new facilities, we need to maintain what we have.”

Council responds

Mayor Greg Dionne said costs would increase considerably if unionized city staff took over management of the pool. He suggested the women and their supporters form a non-profit and lease the pool, indicating the city would be prepared to continue contributing $143,000 annually.

Newman didn’t think that was realistic.

“You [the city] run two swimming pools, you have lifeguards, you know how to do this,” she said. “I know the budget’s going to go a little bit higher, but you have incredibly competent people here at city hall, why would you expect a group of old ladies and teenagers to try and run the swimming pool?”

Coun. Dennis Ogrodnick said he “wished he could wave a magic wand and have money fall from the sky,” but ultimately it was a financial decision.

He suggested if the women could convince neighboring R.M.’s to chip in, the city might be able to afford to keep the pool open. Coun. Blake Edward echoed his comments.

Noting that the pool usually closed for the summer months, Coun. Ted Zurakowski said there was time to find a “win-win” solution through continuing discussion between pool users, the city and R.M.s

“I would like to pump the breaks a little bit… and see what model we come up with,” Zurakowski said.

Council voted to have administration prepare a report on the cost of the city taking over the operation of Marion Aquatics for discussion at a future meeting.

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alison.sandstrom@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @alisandstrom