The City of London, Ont., announced Wednesday it will be recommending that the Thames Pool be decommissioned.
In a release, the city says the recommendation stems from ongoing structural damage and infrastructure concerns at the near-century-old facility. The city also said the pool would not open this summer due to those concerns.
“In simple terms, Thames Pool has experienced significant infrastructure damage due to its location in the Thames River’s floodplain and ongoing weather events, including severe flooding, impacting the groundwater level,” said Jon-Paul McGonigle, director of recreation and sport.
“This is an incredibly difficult recommendation to bring forward since we know Thames Pool is a popular destination for Londoners of all ages during the summer season, but this is the most fiscally responsible option.”
The pool, which had been closed last summer due to structural issues, was first built in 1927. Of the 11 outdoor pools the city operates, Thames Pool has accounted for 30 per cent of all visits annually.
Three-time Olympic medalist Maggie Mac Neil tweeted the proposed decommissioning was “devasting,” adding Thames Pool was her favourite in London.
“It’s where I preferred to train by myself during the height of the pandemic in 2020 before the postponed 202One Olympics,” said Mac Neil in a tweet.
Thames Pool underwent a $4.6 million redevelopment in 2010 and, since 2016, has had over $238,000 in repairs due to multiple issues, including flood damage in 2018.
Jeremy McCall, a resident of Wortley Village and co-founder of Dad Club London, says he was “crushed” when he learned the pool is on the chopping block.
“Pre-COVID, it really was our favourite place to go in the neighbourhood,” McCall told Global News.
“To hear that we’re possibly never going to have a pool again after not having one for multiple summers, it’s pretty devastating.”
In a report that will be presented to the Community and Protective Services (CAPS) committee next week, city staff say a consulting team completed a review of the pool in the fall of last year. The review outlines the pool has suffered a differential movement in the pool floor, failures in the piping systems and a loss of base support.
The reason for the damage is said to be from either hydrostatic uplift pressure or frost penetration below the pool floor. The report adds that any movement of the pool floor would result in probable damage to the pool piping system.
Coun. Skylar Franke, whose ward 11 includes the Thames Pool, said while she had heard the damage to the pool was extensive and would likely cause another closure this summer, she did not imagine it would be slated for decommissioning.
During the 2022 election campaign, Franke says she heard from many residents what the pool means to the community.
“Most people learned to swim there, a lot of people worked as lifeguards there,” said Franke. “I think if it is decommissioned, the loss will be very keenly felt by the community.”
Franke says she plans to speak with community members, including at a town hall she is hosting on April 1, before finalizing how she will vote on the matter.
“I do see why they are making the recommendation… both financially and from a climate change perspective because we are going to have more and more flooding in the area,” said Franke.
“That said, I do want to hear what the residents have to say because there are a couple different options.”
City staff listed five possible options for how to proceed with the damage. Minimum or extensive repairs were considered, along with rehabilitation and rebuilding on the current site.
However, staff say the decommissioning of the Thames Pool and exploration of future recreation and sports opportunities suitable to Thames Park and the surrounding neighbourhood is the best path forward.
Civic administration said they feel the most appropriate course of action for council to consider is to decommission Thames Outdoor Pool, noting “the risk of future infrastructure failure cannot be eliminated at its current site in the floodplain with any of the other options considered,” read part of the report.
The city says should CAPS and then council approve the decommissioning of the pool, users of the Thames Pool will be offered swim passes to other locations for the 2023 season and transportation options to other outdoor pools will be explored. The report also says the possibility of building a splash pad on the current location will be explored.
Both McCall and Old South resident Candice Adema say a major benefit of the Thames Pool is that it is convenient to walk to from their homes as opposed to having to travel by car or other transportation to a different pool.
“It’s disappointing and I know that a lot of my neighbours would be really disappointed too,” said Adema.
“We try to live a lifestyle where we don’t have to get in our cars as often as we can, so another thing we would have to get into the car for is disappointing.”
The recommendation and report are scheduled to be discussed at the CAPS meeting on March 21.
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