In Transcona, an incomplete pool creates waves of frustration

A long delay in therenovationof a Transcona public poolhas triggereda tsunami of frustration in the east end of the city.

In 2013, Winnipeg began rebuilding and improving indoor and outdoor components of Transcona Centennial Pool, an aquatics centre built by the former City of Transcona in 1967.

The project called for an expanded splash pad, a kid-friendly beach-style entry into the outdoor pool and renovations to the changing rooms in the indoor portion of the recreational facility.

The city set aside $3.5million in the 2014 budget to start the project and hoped to devote another $2.5 million from the sale of Roland Michener arena and another nearby surplus city property. But there was little interest in the city land, placing the Transcona pool project in limbo at the end of 2015.

While city council has approved another$2.5 million worth of funding, the outdoor pool remains shuttered and won't be ready for use until 2017.

"When I heard that, my family went out and bought a membership for the Y on Kimberley, because we're tired of waiting for the city," said Transcona residentLisa van den Hoven.

She said was initially excited to hear about the pool renovation because she has three children, all under the age of 10. Now, she's just annoyed by the continued presence of construction fencing at the corner of WabashaStreet and Kildare Avenue East.

"You have to tell your kids, every time you drive by it, 'No, it's not going to be open for another year.' I'm worried my son will be too old to enjoy it by the time it's open."

Construction on the pool will recommence in July, said John Kiernan, the city's director of planning, property and development. While that's underway, the renovated splash pad will be reopened, separated from the incomplete pool by a fence.

The city has also backed away from its commitment to make substantivechanges to the interior-pool building, mainly because they would trigger even more expensive code-change upgrades to the 50-year-oldbuilding, Kiernan said.

Instead, construction will start this fall ona new change-room facility for the outdoor pool and splash pad. All the components will be ready before the summer of 2017, he said.

"We didn't want to lose another summer," Kiernan said. "Transcona's been without this recreational amenity for a couple of years now."

Thischange in plan, however,annoysTranscona Coun. Russ Wyatt, who tried in vain to convince the city to divert funds from other recreation projects into the originalthe pool-reconstructionproject.

Transcona pool delay

8 years ago

Duration 2:28

A long delay in the renovation of a Transcona public pool has caused a tidal wave of frustration in the east end of the city.He claims Mayor Brian Bowman failed to heed his calls to fund the project last year and spare Transcona residents the indignity of going through another summer without the pool.

"I honestly don't know what I did to offend this mayor," said Wyatt, who has been at loggerheads withBowman since late 2014, when the rookie mayor was sworn in. "This mayor seems to have an approach which [is], it's his way or the highway."

Jonathan Hildebrand, a spokesman for Bowman, noted Wyatt actually opposed the mayor's efforts to ensure there is enough cash in the city budget to complete the Transcona pool project.

"The 2016 capital budget increased the city's financial commitment to theTransconaPool project by $2.3 million.Coun.Wyatt opposed that increase in funding, and voted against the budget," Hildebrand claimed in a statement.

Wyatt nonethelessclaims the incomplete Transcona pool is emblematic of the city's inability to complete capital projects.

"It meansproject after projectacross the city is still runningoverbudget, shovels are not hitting the groundon time and that speaksto the challenge of the city not being able to manage its own affairs."

An open house about the pool is slated for Tuesday June 28at Oxford Heights Community Centre, starting at 5 p.m.