THUNDER BAY –Thunder Bay city council has voted to demolish Dease Pool, following hours of tense deliberation Monday night. The vote also directed city administration to continue consulting the community on future uses for the site and adjacent Dease Park, with a report due back by the third quarter of next year.
Around 15 Save Dease Pool protesters marched on City Hall before the meeting, holding placards and chanting slogans. Several stayed for the meeting, supporting three of their members who gave deputations urging council to rebuild the facility.
City administration, in a report prepared by general manager of community services Kelly Robertson, recommended against a rebuild. Their report says the estimated $2.8 million price tag to build a new pool and change room building isn't justified, especially given the existence of nearby aquatic venues, including Art Widnall pool just over one kilometre’s walk away.
Instead, administration recommended demolishing the pool, at a cost of about $260,000 to the city, and proceeding with community consultations to determine the site's future. Options include selling the pool property, revamping it as parkland, and recreational investments like a skating rink at adjacent Dease Park.
Council would go on to adopt administration's recommendation, with councillors Andrew Foulds, Aldo Ruberto, and Peng You voting against.
The meeting grew contentious at points, with advocates expressing their anger toward city council and administration. Lori Paras said in her deputation that administration had an “agenda to shutter Dease Pool” and that councillor Brian Hamilton, whose McKellar ward contains the pool, had been “working directly against [our] interests.”
“Don’t tell me I’m not sticking up for my ward, that’s just ridiculous,” Hamilton fired back later in the meeting. He argued spending millions on a pool used only two months a year would be “irresponsible,” given how far the money could go toward other needs in the area. He offered examples like supporting the Underground Gym, and maintaining infrastructure like sidewalks and sports fields.
Councillor Aldo Ruberto agreed it would not be justified to spend millions of dollars on the pool, but argued administration’s cost estimates to rebuild the facility were unreasonably high – something he says is a pattern for the city. “We have to stop this palace standard that’s above and beyond anything that’s reasonable. People are happy with simplicity.”
Kelly Robertson, general manager of community services for the city, told council she was confident the city has enough aquatic facilities to meet citizens’ needs without Dease Pool. Councillor Mark Bentz, for one, said that was an important factor in his decision to vote to close the pool.
But advocates say council’s decision is not the end of the matter. Paras said a local law clinic had offered to represent the group in a potential lawsuit, and invoked the possibility of protesters handcuffing themselves to the facility to prevent its demolition.
