Closure of Vancouver's neighbourhood pools would have social costs, planner says

Two Vancouver pools recently wonlast-minute reprieves from plans to close them, but their future is uncertain.

Vancouver is not alone. Cities worldwide are moving to consolidate amenities such as pools and schools, say city planning experts.

But at whatcost?

TheVancouver Park Board's planto phase out older pools means the end of an era whenteens could walk to the neighbourhood pool without adults, and lifeguards knew their names.

"It's one of many neighbourhood amenities cities are losing, largely due to consolidation and cost savings, ironically at the same time as we're writing new policies about creating morewalkable, 'complete'neighbourhoods," saidBrentToderian, former chief planner for Vancouver.

Toderian said there are significant social costs to closing community pools, including the erosion of neighbourhoodcohesion andreduced accessibility for disabled people andseniors.

After much outcry, the park board decided to revisit its closure plans and will vote on the Van Splash policy on Jan. 29.Thepolicy outlines the next25 years of aquatic and sports facilities plannedfor Metro Vancouver.

The vision describes phasing out older pools"nearing the end of their lives."

It's a plan that's sparked outrage from pool users who have petitioned and protested to saveLord Byng and Templetonpools.

Gillian LaPrairie is passionate about theLord Byngpool.

"If that pool gets shut down,I will go down," said LaPrairie,who uses a wheelchair and is partially blind.

The 49-year-old swims daily to combat the symptoms ofMultiple Sclerosis and she's not interested in shifting toHillcrest, Britannia or a larger facility promised to replace Lord ByngPool.

She prefers the smaller, intimate community-centre-style pool where the lifeguards know her.

She often rented the entire pool for birthday parties, and nearby schools use the pool for swimming lessons.

For now, the city is delaying pool closures.But the threat still looms, despite support from Vancouver Point Grey MLA David Ebyandplanning experts, whourgethe park board commissioners to rethink the pool closures.

It's a fight other cities also faceas infrastructure ages. There is a push to consolidate andcreate mega-structures that serve more people.

But locals do not wantto lose the heart of their community, often a community centre or pool. In Toronto, a fight over a pool facing closure due tobudget concernsgot support from Olympic gold medal winner Penny Oleksiak, who once used the pool. Council has since reconsidered.

In Australia, pool closuressparked studies.

"Communities feel that they are losing social capital and a sense of equity about access to well-maintained pools," said Australian modern history professor Hannah Lewi, who hasstudied the disappearance of the local pool.

LordByngproponent Tom Perry can't understand why any city would be closing pools, which can help combat everything from loneliness to obesity.

"It's really an argument about societal priorities," said Perry, a medical doctorwho points to research on the physical and mental health benefits of public pools.

Pools can reduce social isolation and stress for those who use them, and they offeryouth a healthy place to gather, he said.

"Why would you want to reduce any such facilities. We actually have way fewer pools than many Canadian large cities per capita or per city. So why are they so stingy?" said Perry.

4 new indoor pools

The parkboard said its vision will give more citizens more varied aquatic experiences.

It plans to replace three indoor pools Britannia,Kerrisdale, and the Vancouver Aquatic Centre and build a new one,Connaught Pool.

It's also planning two new outdoor pools: One co-located with Killarney or Marpolecommunity centres; the other somewhere in South Vancouver.

Parkboard staff declined interview requests until later in January.

The park board has made no commitment to keepLord Byngand Templeton pools open in the long-term.

Small pools still under threat

That is not good enough for LaPrairie.

Seven blocks from her home she can be winched into Lord Byng's waters every day.

"Swimming has always been very important to me. Water does something magical," she said.

An aggressive form of MS forced her to give up a life as a primatologist caring for African chimps.

But she's convinced pool access has kept her moving.

"Our community pool is one of the few places left where people come and meet," she said.

Because the pool is small, lifeguards knew her and her sons, who got some uniquelifeguard training.

She is convinced that's how the boys prevented her from drowning after a cardiac arreston holiday a few years ago at a California hotel pool in Disneyland.

"My kids were the first responders and one of the things that [swimming at Lord Byng pool] did it was a great tool all the lifeguards at the pool know me and they got to know my kids."

Those lifeguards played rescue games with LaPrairie's boys while she swam.

And she believes that's how they were able to act so fast to rescue her when she almost drowned.

So for her, any pool closure hurts.

The thought of a permanent shut down? Unthinkable.