We Need Pool

So the cost of a new 50m pool has jumped 30% since last fall and 40% from 2 years ago all due to the high costs of construction in the city now. 40% in two years! I really find that hard to believe, or maybe the city has changed ideas on what to build or is it more they they want to show the worst case of what would happen if everything possible were to go wrong. Maybe the city just likes to pay to much for the things they need. I really don't know but it would be nice to see the real reason why staff would come back with a report like that.

We need the 50m pool here and we do have some of the council who also see that they see that Kelowna has a future, and look to the future. We are lucky to have those councilors on our council. Hopefully those councilors can get the others to pull their heads out of the sand and believe in the future as well.

Why not build the structure such that it can handle commercial rentals as well and a gym would bring in $200,000 toward the yearly costs of running such a facility. How about the day when the Mission needs a library out there? It could be incorporated into the building same as some staff offices, maybe some staff dept therefore putting any kind of new city hall many more years down the road. We could even have the community police set up in there instead of leasing a unit elsewhere. There could be a full sports clinic located within the building as well a snack bar, sports store. The skys the limit and all this is helping to bring the costs of maintaining it down.

We could attach such things as a training center for Canadian Triathletes, many attempt to attract some of the Canadian Swimming training center. How about National competitions, Word Cup swimming, Masters Games, Senior Games. the list could go on for ever. Most of the games could not happen without a 50m pool. Edmonton is hosting the 2005 World Masters Games and expects to bring in $30-$50 million into the local economy. We couldn't even hold a small games right now.

We are more than an arena city (for which we have more rinks per capital than any where else in Canada) and we need the 50m pool (for which we are the only major city anywhere without one). Yes we need one.

Glen Mehus