There were plenty of tears and glum faces.
Yet in the best traditions of a close-knit family two qualities shone through the sadness: courage and a spirit of togetherness.
The 49-member Barrhead Swim Club may have lost a home with the closure of the pool, but it has not lost its will to survive.
Vice-president Trina Cloutier and fundraising coordinator Holly Couiyk made it clear last Thursday there would be no crumbling, no laying down and dying.
“Just because there’s no Barrhead pool it doesn’t mean it’s the end of Barrhead Swim Club,” said Cloutier.
“Thanks to our past and present coaches our kids love swimming and so if we need to take our children to another community that is what we will do.
“Some kids swam here two nights a week, some four nights a week.
“It is their passion and the pool was their home.”
Last Thursday, it emerged that Westlock had offered to give the swim club pool time.
Of course, it will mean lots of travelling, but that is seen as a small price for keeping the club alive.
The club still has three away meets on its calendar and a March Swim-a-thon. A fun climax to the season, it raises much-needed funds for expenses like pool rentals.
There is also another incentive for finding a temporary venue – handing out swimming prizes donated by local businesses. When swimmers beat their times at meets they get slips of paper to enter draws.
“We’ve received a lot of support this year from businesses,” said Couiyk. “They are now patiently waiting to see what we are going to do.”
In the longer term, the club hopes to return to Barrhead following construction of a proud new aquatic centre.
Cloutier and Couiyk appealed for Barrhead to unite in support of the pool project.
With the County of Barrhead’s pool plebiscite set for Monday, March 24, there is extra urgency in their rallying cries for a “yes” vote.
They point out that slightly more than 50 per cent of the swim club membership comes from the County.
“Barrhead needs a pool,” said Cloutier.
News of Barrhead Town Council’s decision to close the pool was relayed to swim club members on Tuesday, February 11. While non-competitive swimmers were in the pool for practice, the competitive ones were preparing to train for the 7th Annual Nordic Chill meet.
It was then the executive agreed the meet could not go ahead at the weekend.
“For the safety of our swimmers, pool staff and our volunteers, we decided that if the Town was going to close the pool on Sunday, we would not hold the meet in Barrhead,” said Cloutier. “We felt it was in everyone’s best interest.”
“As of right now it is just postponed,” said Couiyk. “We need to see if another venue will host it.”
No pool and no meet – it was no wonder so many could not contain their emotions.
“We had lots of sad faces on Tuesday, but we also had lots of brave faces,” said Couiyk. “The kids had a good cry, then we all decided to rally together. We can’t just sit back and say that’s it our pool is gone, we are done. That is not teaching our kids anything.”
Couiyk admitted the closure decision had hit her hard.
“I was really devastated,” she said. “My heart was very heavy and I was sad for the kids. We are a family here.
“We are also sad for the Barrhead lifeguards. They were always laughing and joking with the kids. Most are former swim club members. A lot volunteer their time to help us out when they could.”
So was the Town correct to shut down the pool?
Cloutier and Couiyk said they understood the reasons behind the decision. It was no secret the building was deteriorating.
They also thanked the Town for offering the club the option of holding the Nordic Chill in Barrhead.
Nevertheless closure has huge repercussions for the area, they said.
“It doesn’t just affect the swim club, it affects the whole community,” said Cloutier. “I’ve even heard talk of people leaving Barrhead.”
Cloutier said the pool had been a big reason why she and her husband had moved to Barrhead from Valley View in 2002. They did not regret their decision and their daughter Taryn Sekulich went on to become a lifeguard.
Would they make the same decision today?
“No, I would move to a community with a pool,” Cloutier said. “Not having a pool means there is one less thing for kids to do in Barrhead.”
