I have read and heard some of the discussions back and forth between the Town and the County regarding a new indoor swimming pool in the town of Barrhead. It appears there is a bit of a stand-off at the moment over the structure and costs.
County council sent a written invitation to several persons, including Town Council, Woodlands Council, various interested business persons in the community, and myself to join them on a tour of the Sprung Instant Structures Ltd. factory at Aldersyde, just outside of Calgary last Friday, and a visit to three of the structures in use at the Edge School, a private school just west of Calgary.
As some of you know, I work with the Town &Country section of the paper mainly, and none of my colleagues at the Leader were able to get away for the full day to make this tour.
Those on the tour included the County Council members and County Administrator, some council members from Woodlands, and a few other interested local persons and myself.
Before I begin, let me say this is entirely my own thoughts. I have not allowed anyone to influence my thinking about what I saw, other than to say another outsider, learning of the trip, said to me “You don’t put a pool in a tent!”
Unfortunately, for whatever reason, none of the Town Council members or staff were in attendance. I feel they missed an opportunity to hear more fully and view what most certainly could be a viable and reasonable cost option to what has, if I understand it correctly, already been approved by them.
To say I was impressed by what I saw and heard at Sprung Structures and the presentation by Myrtha Pools would be an understatement. The structure is certainly no tent – that is a total myth, and the Myrtha pool would, I feel, be another positive in this picture.
The two companies together would build a pool and structure for the town at considerable savings over the current proposal, and doing the work themselves, would fully guarantee it.
I read in one of the articles in the Leader the concern that this type of structure is unrpoven in this area, and felt it would be putting the community in a guinea pig situation.
Sprung has been in business for 130 years, and is a world-wide company that has built their reputation for well over a century with their structures in all climates, from hot and dry, to bitter cold and lots of snow. They are used in a wide variety of applications and built in a variety of sizes. Myrtha Pools has one of their pools installed at Whitecourt, and another at Grande Prairie as well as many other places and situations across the country. What I understand is this structure could be built in the location of the current, but closed, Barrhead pool.
Viewing a gymnasium and hockey arena at the Edge School, we saw the structures in everyday use, and the Sprung head office and factory at Aldersyde is another example. I wish at least some of the Town Council had taken the opportunity to view what I saw, and make their own judgement.
None of my municipal taxes go to either Barrhead Town or County, or Woodlands County but if I were a ratepayer in those areas, I would want my council to be open minded and take a long hard look at options.
Councils, in fact any level of government, owe it to the ratepayers to be prudent with the use of our tax dollars.
I urge the two councils to sit down at the table once more, with open minds, and get this sorted out for the benefit of the community.
Perhaps the Sprung structure and Myrtha pool isn’t what will be the final answer. Personally, I think it is. From what I observed and heard, they last as well as any structure, and can be very attractive – and I saw that. Natural lighting can be a part of the benefit too. I think the overall package of what could be offered from what I learned, would perhaps even attract more people into the swimming programs, further offsetting the costs of operation.
Barrhead needs a pool. Councillors need to be prudent with the tax dollars. Look at the options and give the ratepayers something they can afford and be proud of at the same time.
