THUNDER BAY — The decommissioning and demolition of the oldest in-ground swimming pool in Canada could take place in 2020.
A report from city administration recommends that Dease Pool on Vickers Street be torn up and filled in next year at an estimated cost of $260,000.
The plan is opposed by neighbourhood residents who have conducted an extensive lobbying campaign to reverse last year's decision to close the aging faciity.
City staff have estimated the cost of repairs at about $1 million at a minimum.
The Rebuild Dease Pool Committee, however, has argued the fix-up could be done for between $750,000 and $850,000, and that donations and voluntary labour would reduce the cost even more.
In October, city administration unveiled a redevelopment plan for the pool area and adjacent Dease Park which includes installing a fenced outdoor tennis and pickleball court, and a community garden.
At Dease Park, a larger playground and a boarded, lighted rink with an asphalt surface would be constructed, along with a permanent change room and washroom facilities.
City council is scheduled to consider the demolition recommendation at its Dec. 16 meeting.
