The University of New Brunswick (UNB) announced on Thursday that they have decided to extend the life of the Sir Max Aitken pool until 2019.
The pool was scheduled to be decommissioned along with the facility that houses it, the Lady Beaverbrook gymnasium, this fall.
Although the gymnasium’s decommissioning will continue as planned, the pool will remain open.
“Keeping it open will not only give the city time to put in place other temporary measures for swimmers such as a modular pool while it works toward a new facility, it will also give the city the opportunity to receive a grant in lieu of property taxes for the Lady Beaverbrook gymnasium,” said George MacLean, vice-president for UNB’s Fredericton campus.
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UNB and the City of Fredericton had previously been engaged in talks over the creation of a pool and although that did not come to pass, MacLean says that the process made it clear how many people would be impacted by a pool closure.
“While we have always been concerned about the expense of extending the life of the pool, we feel a deep sense of civic commitment,” MacLean said.
As a result, UNB has proposed a cost-sharing agreement with the city in order to operate the pool during the impending extension. They’ll cover 40 per cent of the operation’s costs, which will work out to roughly $190,000.
They’re asking the city to chip in roughly $300,000.
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The decision comes after Wednesday’s announcement that the City of Fredericton and YMCA are exploring the development of an indoor pool, field house and multi-purpose space for the region.
Although it is only in its preliminary stages, Fredericton said that it has confidence in the future of the project.