Impending UNB pool closure provokes march on City Hall

Close to 150 people marched on the steps of Fredericton's City Hall on Tuesday in support of a new swimming pool for the city.

The Sir Max Aitken Pool at the University of New Brunswick is to close next fall, and no replacement has been planned.

Affected groups have been trying to get the City of Fredericton to find a solution for local swimmers since UNB announced the pool's closure in March.

• 'Academic mission needs to be our priority': UNB to close Sir Max Aitken Pool next year

The walk was organized by Fredericton Aquanauts Swim Team, or FAST, one of a number of groups concerned there will be no competitive swimming centrein the region.

The group has gatheredmore than 6,000 signatures in support of a new aquatics facility for the city.

Leyla Lougheed, president of the Fredericton Aquanauts Swim Team, said the march was meant to show the community's support for the pool. She said supporters arehappy the city has been working with UNB to come up with a solution.

"We just want to make sure that they know that we are with them, and this is a positive thing that they're doing and we're super happy about it," she said.

Andrea Addison said members of her family are at the pool frequently, sometimessix times a week.

The announcement of the closure has bothered her oldest children a lot because they've been swimming there since theywere little and now swim competitively.

But the closurehits all age groups, Addison said.

"There's a huge group of people who all feel the same way," she said.

"And it's not just kids, it's not just people involved in the FAST program, it's a whole age range. Swimming is something that everybody can do."

City, UNB discussing potential solutions

Outside city hall, Coun. Bruce Grandy said council appreciates the residents' concerns but the city alone can't solve the issue.

"Discussions are happening between the UNB and the City of Fredericton but we need to talk to the provincial government, the federal government, our surrounding communities as we move forward on this issue," he said.

He said it was hard to tell how far away the parties are from finding a solution.

"We're talking about a large sum of money here," he said.

"It'll probably be a $40 [million] to $50 million project. We're talking operational costs somewhere close to $1 million. These are big funds, and we have to take this very seriously."

UNB plans to build a new centre to replace the Lady Beaverbrook Gym, but at this point, a competitive swimming pool is not part of the complex.

UNB president Eddy Campbell has said the Sir Max Aitken Pool is "past its useful life."