City of Kamloops reviewing Westsyde Pool and Fitness Centre due to hefty taxpayer subsidy

Westsyde Pool deep in red

Westsyde Pool and Fitness Centre costs the City of Kamloops about $1 million a year to operate, and taxpayers are covering more than $815,000 of that bill.

That has officials at city hall trying to figure out how to get more people using the facility.

David Hallinan, City of Kamloops corporate services director, said city staff are embarking on a review of the pool and fitness centre, trying to find opportunities to increase user fee revenue, which would in turn reduce the current level of taxation funding.

“What this is looking at is to try and help boost the amount of use that the facility receives on an ongoing basis,” Hallinan said.

He said staff will see what can be done to draw more pool users to Westsyde.

The Westsyde Pool review is one of several initiatives mulled by council members in the past several weeks as they consider how to reduce the city’s budget.

The city has a 50 per cent cost recovery target for its recreational facilities, which means an equal share of tax dollars and user fees would keep the centres running.

During Tuesday’s committee of the whole meeting, council members heard the Tournament Capital Centre’s Canada Games pool is nearing this target, with cost recovery in the high 40 per cent range.

The cost recovery rate for Westsyde Pool remained below 21 per cent in 2023 and 2024, with a slight increase to just under 27 per cent projected for 2025.

A staff report said it costs about $1 million annually to operate Westsyde Pool and Fitness Centre, and the facility receives a net average tax subsidization of more than $815,000 per year.

Carmin Mazzotta, City of Kamloops community and culture director, said one of the challenges is the pool’s location, situated “on the edge of a neighbourhood” instead of in a core area.

“That will be part of the engagement, are there uses or components there that could attract North Shore residents,” Mazzotta said.

Byron McCorkell, the city’s CAO, said the pool has a smaller capacity when compared to the TCC’s Canada Games Aquatic Centre, another hurdle for cost recovery.

Coun. Bill Sarai noted the pool has struggled with closures due to staffing challenges, saying the city needs to ensure it is retaining staff to keep the pool open and available for users.

Mazzotta said even with closures last year, revenues are up — but operating costs remain high. Meanwhile, work has been done to stabilize the aquatics program and the city has seen success in lifeguard recruitment and retention.

'It can become the destination'

Elisa Houchen, president of the Westsyde Community Development Society, said the community is passionate about its pool and wants to work together with the city to ensure the facility can be used to its full potential.

“Many people use this facility, both the fitness centre and the pool, it really connects to a lot of people. Fitness is a part of well being, and it can literally affect people's health,” Houchen said.

She said the pool’s Aqua Fit program has a one-class wait list each time it is offered, and the smaller facility size is welcomed by families and children who want to avoid the busy TCC.

“While it may not be on its way to somewhere, it can become the destination,” Houchen said.

She said the society wants to ensure the facility is constantly fully staffed. The community is asking for extended pool and fitness centre hours — something that Houchen said could help with cost recovery.

She said several nearby schools could use the pool, but some have reported challenges with using the online booking system. Meanwhile, pieces of aquatic equipment like the diving board and a climbing wall seem to have recurring issues, and pool users will stop going if these attractions aren’t consistently available.

“That's one of the big pieces, is just making sure that the facility is operating with all of the things that it should for us,” Houchen said.

She said the Westsyde Community Development Society has been instrumental in adding improvements to the facility — including a hot tub and sauna, among other renovations — and has advocated in past years to keep the pool open amid threats of closure.

“It definitely is something this community will fight for, and we will continue to do so, as we've done in the past,” Houchen said.