London, Ont. spent $4M to extend lifespan of Thames Pool by decades. Why is it now facing closure?

Questions are emerging a day after city staff recommended permanently closing Thames Pool on Ridout Street.

A $4 million rebuild in 2009 was supposed to keep the aquatic facility operating for decades.

Specifically, a municipal report from February 2008 reads, “The new Thames Outdoor Pool must be designed to serve Londoners for the next 20 - 30 years.”

The outdoor pool and aquatics facility has only been open for about a dozen summers.

A report to council’s Community and Protective Services (CAPS) Committee city explains that annual damage from flooding and a high water table has damaged the pool’s floor, pipes and base support.

City staff considered five options for the future of Thames Pool:

• Conducting minimum repairs ($375,000)
• Extensive repairs ($600,000)
• Rehabilitation ($4 million)
• Rebuild ($12 million)
• Decommission

Staff recommend the pool be decommissioned and replaced with a splash pad.

The pool rebuild was behind schedule in June 2009 when the city’s manager of aquatic services told CTV News London, “We can’t rush the construction process. To do so would affect the longevity of the pool, and we are not prepared to jeopardize that in the long-term.”

On Thursday, Jon Paul McGonigle, director of recreation and sport was asked by CTV News London if any decisions made during the redesign and rebuild in 2009 have come back to haunt London now.

“I don’t really have a comment on that,” admitted McGonigle. “I think what I would say is [that] our focus is to try to move this item forward. For us and for the community.”

He explained, “The environmental context in the floodplain has changed over the last 15 years.”

Thames Pool in London, Ont. is seen in this undated image. (Daryl Newcombe/CTV News London)

Coun. Elizabeth Peloza, chair of the CAPS Committee has questions about the lifespan of the previous work.

“Is it how we tendered [the pool rebuild] and built it?” she said. “We have other outdoor pools too, and is this going to be a problem we see at them?”

Meanwhile, hundreds of Londoners are rallying behind a new online petition that calls on council to extend a lifeline to Thames Pool.

“Thousands of people in this city want more answers and more [opportunities to give] input,” said Dr. Bill Terzis, part of the group behind the petition.

Terzis is disappointed that city staff have reached their recommendation without first consulting the public.

He added, “Closing an Olympic-sized swimming pool, and replacing it with a spray pad — it’s really not the same thing.”

McGonigle said the 2019 Parks and Recreation Master Plan stated that no new outdoor pools should be constructed, however, “It’s important to note [the Master Plan] also tells us not to take any away. So I think we are in a bit of a grey area.”

Peloza encourages the public to provide feedback to councillors ahead of the CAPS meeting.

“Is it time to put something else in that location? Like an outdoor splash pad and community space? Or do we want to put in the money to rebuild [the pool] for the fourth time?” she said.

The CAPS meeting to consider the future of Thames Pool will be held at 4:15 p.m. on March 21 at city hall.