Victoria is co-ordinating with the YMCA-YWCA, as the city plans a replacement for the Crystal Pool, to reduce duplication of services, Mayor Lisa Helps said.
But the city has determined a new Crystal Pool is needed even if the YMCA decides to replace its downtown pool.
“The long and short of it is that we need two swimming pools. We need the 25-metre pool that the Y is planning to build and we need a 50-metre pool that the city is planning to build,” Helps said.
Helps was responding to an update to members made by YMCA-YWCA board chairwoman Jennie Edgecombe last week in which she said Colliers International has been engaged to help explore options for its 52-year-old Broughton Street recreation facility that could include building a new facility somewhere downtown.
Edgecombe said nothing is expected to change on the current site for at least five years.
The city and the YMCA are working on a memorandum of understanding to ensure the new facilities will be complementary and to reduce overlaps, Helps said.
“The Y may do things like [provide] new or more daycare spaces, so with the Y doing that the city won’t need to and so on. So we’re working very closely with the Y,” Helps said.
She said the two facilities have more than one million visitors a year between them, and the city has determined there’s room for growth.
“The analysis we did at the city before deciding to build a new pool showed there’s latent demand in the region for a 35 per cent increase in use of just the Crystal Pool alone with a new facility,” Helps said.
City councillors decided in February to replace the 45-year-old Crystal Pool and Fitness Centre at an estimated cost of $69.4 million. The city has $10 million in reserves to put toward the project, but the balance, minus outside grants, would have to be borrowed — necessitating a referendum. Before any vote is scheduled, city staff are exploring grant possibilities.
The new facility, with an estimated life of 50 years, would have a 50-metre pool, better accessibility, expanded programs and family change rooms. The existing facility would remain open during construction.
Meanwhile, Crystal Pool and Fitness Centre will close for three weeks for annual maintenance beginning Saturday.
Crystal will be closed from Saturday until it reopens at 5:30 a.m. on Sept. 25. Aquatic facilities in Greater Victoria are closed for a short period annually for regular maintenance.
During the pool closures, Crystal passes and Regional Recreation Passes will be honoured at other local facilities, including: Oak Bay Recreation Centre, Pearkes Recreation Centre, Cedar Hill Recreation Centre, Gordon Head Recreation Centre, Westshore Parks and Recreation, Esquimalt Recreation Centre, Saanich Commonwealth Place (pool closed Sept. 5 to 17; weight room closed Sept. 2 to 4) and Panorama Recreation Centre (closed until Sept. 4).
