Vancouver pool users rally to save Lord Byng Pool

It may be old and small, but it's worth keeping.

That's the message from dozens of peoplein Vancouver's West PointGrey neighbourhood who want to save their local pool, Lord Byng.

Residents gathered Sunday at a nearby auditorium to sing, make speechesand organize against the Vancouver Park Board, which is expected to vote on its VanSplash Aquatics strategy a 25-year plan for the city's recreational water amenities before the end of the year.

The park board wants to accommodate more people at the city's pools. So far the plan has been to decommission small pools such as LordByngandTempletonto make way for larger pools, described as "destination pools."

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"I'm not against big destination pools likeHillcrestand those kind of destination pools, but I think there's something lost in not having local pools," saidPhil Rankin, who uses LordByngpool with his paddling club.

"Us old people don't like these big pools, we like the intimacy of the small pools, we like to be able to walk to the pool."

Others at Sunday's forum said the pool is used by a diverse group of people.

Serena McDonnellgrew up in the neighbourhood and has been using the pool since she was achild. Shesays she likes the sense of community at a small facility like LordByng.

"I think a common misconception especially with the images that have been put online is that it's only old people who use the pool," she said. "It's not just one certain demographic that's using the pool, it's everybody."

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Officials say decommissioningsome facilities and making others biggercould increase capacity at the city's indoor pools by 30 per cent.

Vancouver has nine indoor pools and five outdoor pools, far fewer thancities of comparable size.

SarahKirby-Yung, a park board commissioner who attended the forum, says she's listening.

"I think what we see herejust really affirms that aquatics are really important to people and not just access, but that they're in their neighbourhoods," she said.

"And the sense of community we see around Lord Byng and Templetonhas been phemonenal."

Residents who attended the forumon Sunday say they will show up to the next park boardmeeting on Dec. 11 as part of a friendly protest at the board's office and to sing Christmas carols.

The agenda for the meeting includes recommendations on Lord Byng and Templetonpools.

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