The Canada Games Aquatic Centre in Saint John. (Photo: uptownsj.com)
The City of Saint John continues to look at the future of the Canada Games Aquatic Centre.
It recently issued a request from outside parties interested in leasing or purchasing the facility.
Being New Brunswick’s only 50-metre pool, this could have an impact on aquatic clubs in other cities.
Head coach for the Codiac Vikings Aquatic Club based in Riverview, Melanie Melanson, says athletes looking to compete at the national level, have to travel to Saint John.
She says her swimmers practice in a 25-metre pool, but 50 metres is the priority because it is the Olympic distance.
“We should have a 50-metre pool in each of our major cities really. Ideally, we would have a 50-metre pool in Moncton, one of the largest cities population-wise. We have two clubs here in Moncton and we are the only city to have two clubs in New Brunswick,” she says.
Melanson says, if it came down to a decision to close the pool, it would be a big blow to the sport of swimming.
“It wouldn’t just affect the Saint John Fundy Tide Swim Club, but all aquatic clubs across New Brunswick. I think they will come up with solutions for this, but ideally, we do need one somewhere in the province,” she says.
Saint John Mayor Don Darling says they want to see the facility grow and realize its full potential. He says for the benefit of the centre, they want to explore opportunities that could work with this facility.
If the club ended up closing, Melanson says it would affect every club greatly.
“It means that our kids would have to travel outside the province just to qualify for a national-level event. It would mean that we wouldn’t be able to run our sport in our province. We would have to go elsewhere to find it,” she says.
The Canada Games are expected to return to New Brunswick in around eight years. Melanson says it’s required that you have a 50-metre pool and a cool down facility to host that.
“Whatever city that goes to, they need to build some infrastructure for it. That is what the Canada Games Centre was built for in Saint John,” she says.
She says there are swimmers from New Brunswick being recognized nationally, and there are also future Olympic hopefuls.
“But a lot of them are going to leave and go away to University to train because we don’t have that 50-metre pool in Moncton to train in. They are going to end up leaving our province.”
The Canada Games Aquatic Centre was constructed to host the aquatic competitions during the Canada Games and opened its doors in 1985.
It is home to the competitive Saint John Fundy Tide Swim Club, the Saint John Water Polo Club, the Fundy Extreme Triathlon Club, and the Surf City Artistic Swimming Club.
The centre is currently operated by the Saint John Aquatic Centre Commission.
Expressions of interest must be submitted by February 21.
With files from Brad Perry.
