Acadia University is making waves with the decision to permanently close its pool this June, leaving its varsity swim team and the community with few options.
The swimming pool is the only one in the town of Wolfville, N.S.
From lessons to competitive swimming, it’s an integral part of the community. However, the university says the pool is too costly to operate and needs millions in repair.
“I spent most of my life in that pool, and have been very involved in that community for most of my life so it was a huge loss and a lot of anger, frustration, confusion,” said Adam Deutsch, the Acadia swimming alumni co-ordinator.
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He added that the closure impacts not only the varsity swim team at Acadia, which is being discontinued, but also youth sports and other aquatic programs.
The town’s mayor, Jodi MacKay, said the news is devastating, especially since the next closest pool is 28 kilometres away in Waterville.
“We are all on board to reconvene those conversations … certainly this announcement has lit a fire under us, so to speak. We are ready to get back to the table and hear what our community wants,” MacKay said.
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In the meantime, the swim community is bracing for the impact of the closure and the loss of the university’s swim team.
“A lot of new recruits coming from out of province, as well as swimmers choosing to stay in our province,” said Bette El-Hawary, Swim Nova Scotia’s executive director.
“It will be a very big loss to swimming in our province.”
For more on this story, watch the video above.
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