One city councillor is not happy with the proposed changes to the City Hall wading pool.
Last week, it was announced that renovations to the wading pool at Churchill Square would reduce its depth from just over adult knees to ankle-deep water.
Ward 4 councillor Aaron Paquette was not expecting a drastic change to the downtown staple.
“We were all a little taken by surprise,” he told CTV News.
Paquette is speaking in behalf of residents in his community who have made it clear how important the pool is to them.
“I asked the question on Twitter and, jeez, the response was incredible. People really love this pool. … I’ve been getting dozens and dozens of messages and responses from people who say, ‘We need this. This is actually a part of what makes a part of downtown fun for us.’”
The reason for the proposed changes is because the pool’s water filtration system is not up to health standards. A new system would be much more expensive.
“What’s this going to cost? Is it going to an exorbitant amount? Maybe we gotta take another look at that,” Paquette said. “But if it’s reasonable, and it’s within the renovation budget already, why wouldn’t we do it?”
Paquette will issue a request for more information in next year in an attempt to find alternate designs that would not change the pool drastically.
Regardless of depth, the wading pool will be closed next year to make room for renovations.
With files from Nahreman Issa
