Council committee extends possible lifeline to Thames Pool
Council committee extends possible lifeline to Thames Pool
London, Ont. city councillors want more information and more opportunities for public input before making a final decision about the future of Thames Pool.
Last week, a city staff report recommended decommissioning the pool because of the cost to repair recurring damage caused by floods and a high water table.
On Tuesday, the Community and Protective Services Committee discussed the report after receiving extensive feedback from the public about the pool’s future and the lack of public consultation.
“We know what it means, so this is a difficult conversation today,” Councillor Elizabeth Peloza told members of the public seated in the gallery and watching online.
“I don’t think we have enough information to make a permanent decision on this location,” said Councillor Skylar Franke. “I think it’s unfair to the community to take away this treasured community spot without a clear path forward.”
A motion drafted by Franke and Councillor David Ferreira called for a five-step process moving forward:
Staff report by the end of June 2023 to the CAPS Committee to identify options/costs to potentially reopen for 2024
Conduct thorough community engagement starting in Q2 of 2023, and provide the results to council by the end of Q3 of 2023
Develop a comprehensive staff report to come to council in 2024 including options/costs for the future of Thames Pool if it’s rebuilt or relocated.
After the staff report is completed, hold a public participation meeting prior to council’s decision.
Provide a report to the CAPS Committee identifying the likely causes of the Thames Pool failure.
City staff explained that there is not enough time to reopening the pool for this summer.
Repairs could start in the fall and finish in the spring next year for a 2024 opening if it is a simple repair.
Mayor Josh Morgan said a long-term solution is needed based on the ongoing risk of future flood damage, even if the pool reopens next summer.
“Mistakes that may have been made decades and decades ago, we have to think how to rectify those under a timeline that works for the community that enjoys those,” Morgan said.
The committee backed the five-part plan.
An online petition has collected more than 3,600 signatures since launching five days ago.
The magnitude and intensity of the public response brought Morgan and 10 of council’s 15 members to the committee meeting.
City Manager Lynne Livingstone and four of her deputy city managers were also on hand to answer questions.
Council will make a final decision at its meeting on April 4.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is pushing for special rapporteur David Johnston to 'step aside' from his role examining the issue of foreign interference before he embarks on public hearings.
New Democrat MP Jenny Kwan said Monday that Canada's spy agency has confirmed her long-held belief she is being targeted by the Chinese government, as the prime minister granted the NDP's wish to allow more party members to review top-secret intelligence.
William Karlsson, William Carrier and Jonathan Marchessault are finally getting another chance in the Stanley Cup Final, after the first one that came so quick for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Eastern Conference finals Most Valuable Player Jimmy Butler scored 28 points, and Caleb Martin had 26 points and 10 rebounds to help the eighth-seeded Miami Heat beat the Celtics 103-84 in Game 7 on Monday night and advance to the NBA Finals for the second time in four seasons.
Canadian political leaders and parliamentarians are denouncing a new law passed in Uganda that imposes harsh penalties, including the death penalty, for certain cases involving homosexuality.
There's a heightened risk of wildfires across the country during what has been one of the earliest fire seasons on record. From British Columbia to Nova Scotia, here's where the risk is highest.
New research from Penn State University found certain factors can contribute to reducing what’s known as the 'urban heat island' effect, and that climate knowledge can contribute to better city planning and design.
The rural Oxford County intersection where an OPP officer and a school bus driver were killed Monday was less than a month away from becoming a four-way stop when the deadly crash happened.
It was a night of indecision at Waterloo region's catholic school board as trustees went back and forth trying to find the best approach to fill a vacant seat.
Windsor city council voted Monday in favour of adopting a master plan with high hopes for City Hall Square and a so-called civic esplanade stretching down to the river
A united front was on full display Monday as community leaders, politicians, business people, unions and educators gathered together at Windsor City Hall to ensure the NextStar Energy battery plant deal gets closed.
Doctors in their final year of training, called residency, can choose to do a one-month rotation at the Shelter Health Initiative (SHI) caring for Windsor’s homeless population.
The body of a Winnipeg boy who fell into Sturgeon Falls on Saturday has been found following a desperate underwater search that lasted more than a day.
The Sandy Hill Child Care Centre has an extra two weeks to get its new home up to code months after a fire destroyed its original site on Wilbrod Street.
Ottawa police are praising a local dad for quickly calling for help Sunday afternoon when he accidentally locked his keys in his car, and his infant child along with them.
Ontario Provincial Police say a driver from Augusta Township is facing an impaired driving charge after someone on Highway 416 spotted a vehicle moving erratically.
The union representing the majority of Quebec's daycare workers is criticizing the government's decision to launch a skimpy 90-hour training program for people who want to be daycare workers but have no prior experience.
A Quebec driver who caused the death of another motorist when he swerved his truck to avoid hitting a family of ducks on the road has been sentenced to eight months in jail and a three-year driving ban.
A Winnipeg family is asking for help to find their missing teenage son whom they haven't seen since he left for school in the Fort Richmond area last Wednesday morning.
The body of a Winnipeg boy who fell into Sturgeon Falls on Saturday has been found following a desperate underwater search that lasted more than a day.
One long-time electoral tradition came to an end on election day, when Postmedia announced there would be no printed newspaper announcing the winner in Calgary.
Over 170,000 elementary and high school students weighed in on the Alberta election and the NDP had to hope the real voters were listening, because they won the kids' vote.
On Monday, Fraser Health provided two senior leaders to address the latest letter outlining risks to patients, allegations of muzzling, and pleas for help from emergency physicians in the health authority's hospitals.
The president of the BC Trucking Association is issuing renewed calls for safety after a trailer truck smashed into an overhead pass Monday morning in Langley.
