THUNDER BAY - After a long and passionate fight from community members, Dease Pool is being torn down, and the fight now turns to what will occupy the space to benefit youth in the neighbourhood.
“I’m trying not to cry. We did our best,” said Kateri Banning, who fought to save Dease Pool. “I know that there was a lot of us fighting and trying. We do want the city to not just build another apartment building. We need something here to replace it. That is going to be the next battle because it’s already down.”
Demolition of the site began this week, with the change rooms being torn down on Friday.
In 2018, city council voted to close Dease Pool, which was built in 1912, making it the oldest in-ground pool in the country.
The decision to close the pool sparked a passionate fight from community members across the city who lobbied city council to save the pool.
“The community gave their best effort to save this pool, and so did the children,” said Ray Smith, who fought to save Dease Pool. “Why are we out here today? To bring attention to what is the next step.”
Smith said the city needs to use the site to offer something to the neighbourhood, particularly the youth.
“We have taken away their lifeline,” he said. “Many come from low-income families and it’s very important the city fulfill their obligation and their commitment and their promise to these kids.”
“We want something for these children. It’s unbelievable that the city all of the sudden came up with $50 million for an indoor turf facility for middle- and high-income families, and the low-income families - zero. It is just heartbreaking.”
The city had originally proposed a plan that would see the site used for pickleball or tennis courts. That proposal has since been abandoned but Banning said there needs to be something for the youth.
“The kids in this area, this is what we had,” she said. “Now there is a big void and we need something for the youth again.”
Banning, who grew up in the Dease Street area, added that she will continue to fight for the kids in the neighbourhood, even if the pool is no more.
“I am going to be just as annoying fighting for new stuff as I was trying to save this,” she said. “Just because they won this part of the battle, doesn’t mean that we are just going to give up and walk away.”
The city initially estimated the cost of demolishing the Dease Pool site at $260,000. The contract for the demolition as awarded to contractor M. Hachey & Sons, with a final cost coming in at $58,700.
