Letters: Build a 50m Pool!

I am appalled at City Hall's actions towards the construction of a 50m
pool with regards to commissioning another survery that will cost
taxpayers $15,000. Kelowna after all has one of the wealthiest tax
bases in the country, and they say that a 50m pool might be too rich of
an idea for Kelowna? Come off whatever substance you're on, and get
back down to reality, a 5% tax hike won't break the bank for very many
people in this community. We are one of the only cities with a
population over 100,000 in western Canada, in fact western North
America that does not have a 50m pool at this moment. One thing I have
found is that even though we have one of the wealthiest tax bases,
people here are less willing than anywhere else to part with any of
their money towards any project that will help enhance the profile of
our community.

As it stands right now, we do not have a pool which is sanctioned for
any national level or international level competition. Swim clubs
cannot get enough time to properly accomodate their swimmers, and there
is not enough space to accomodate a water polo team, and we do not have
a proper high diving facility like Prince George has. Swimmers are
definitely getting short changed in comparison to hockey, which is
getting the brunt of the recreation dollars right now. Maybe City Hall
should get someone who is a triathlete to sit on both the parks and
recreation committees, maybe then swimming would get the attention it
deserves? Consider the attention that the Ironman and the Apple
triathlon brings to Kelowna, especially in light of the fact that the
Apple triathlon this year will feature several olympic level athletes
because it is the last sanctioned event before the olympics in Athens.

Lest we not forget the potential economic spin-off that having Canadian
National, or a world masters swim meet here would bring. The extra
cost to the community would be well worth it in the long run. Without
a 50m pool, we cannot make it happen. On the other hand, the number of
ice surfaces in this community has doubled, and what economic spin-off
will it bring? Kelowna is much too small to have an NHL team, and the
chances of any junior hockey player of making it to the NHL are far
less than landing a role in a hollywood blockbuster. To conclude I
must say that City Council should play fair, and not only hand out
carte blanche to hockey, but should consider supporting other sports as
well, and that it should be a 50m pool in the Mission, or no pool at
all, as on two occasions we had a chance to have a 50m pool, but both
times the plans were scaled back.

-Robert Hogue