Dear Editor,
Disappointment and dismay with our Town and County Councils is what comes to my mind whenever I think of the swimming pool situation in the Town of Barrhead. I cannot believe that we are now without a recreation facility that has been the hub of fitness activities for the residents of this Town and County for the last 50 years. Shame on you guys for dragging your heels for so long that it has come to this!
Thanks to a lack of commitment to help better the health and wellness of the residents of your respective municipalities, many of us have no idea how we are going to try to maintain our physical mobility without our chosen enjoyable form of exercise. I am referring to those of us who lived for our Aquafit classes two to three times/week with ages ranging from 25-75+. With Aquafit we could get a full body workout from head to toe, that included cardio, water resistance, weight training, stretching and cool down (not to mention the soak in the hot tub afterwards as well). Where can those having hip and knee replacements go for pre and post-op therapy now?
Where are our grandkids going to learn how to swim, giving them lifesaving skills and the freedom to be comfortable near bodies of water? My grandsons are 4 and 6 and just finally getting really comfortable in the water, but I wouldn’t let them swim alone yet. The young working Moms and Dads can’t get off work early several times a week to get all their kids to swim classes in the next town on varied days and times.
And then there are those residents that choose competitive swimming as their form of recreation instead of hockey, volleyball, basketball, etc. Whether they are kids or retirees, how are they going to train now? Will their dream of becoming an Olympic swimmer go down the drain because they have to spend the extra time driving to and from a pool, instead of spending the time training?
I have seen many health care professionals at noon hour keeping fit doing lane swim. Yes, our doctors, nurses and therapists. Again, this was their preferred choice of exercise, that they could fit into their very busy schedules. I don’t think they can spend an extra hour or two of their busy day driving to and from the nearest pool of choice.
It disturbs me to know the amount of money that was solicited from many businesses in this Town and County to help host the 55+ Summer Games last summer, when in fact the Games ended up with over a $200,000 surplus. I realize that this money is coming back to the communities, but a committee is choosing where this money should go, not the businesses choosing where they would like their money to be donated. These are donations that I think may have been better spent on our pool, along with whatever portion of funds the Town and County spent towards preparations for hosting those games. I agree, it was an exciting weekend for some, it showed off our town, but that’s what it was, just a weekend for the majority of Town and County residents. Will we ever reap any benefit from that expense, that remains to be seen. For our local residents that won medals at those games though, I really do applaud you! And the two people I’m thinking of won them in swimming competitions.
And then there is the issue of the Town and County plebiscites. Really? The county hasn’t asked for plebiscites when considering spending millions on road projects benefiting mainly the people living in the nearby division (but yes, I do thank you very much for the pavement past my house). They make the decision and do it, for the betterment of our communities, even though they will always make some people mad. Anyone ever involved in planning anything knows you can never please everybody. On that note, I think it is commendable of Woodlands County to offer to come on board with a substantial contribution to a swimming pool complex in our community.
So now that we are in this crisis without a pool, perhaps it is going to have to change the dynamics and layout of a replacement pool. When it comes to having a “Lazy River” I’ve heard it said that it’s great therapy for the seniors because of the resistance training. I think I am safe in speaking for some of us at “Aquafit” that we don’t need that, we can create enough water resistance with other movement. As for location, bulldoze down the old pool and redesign something to fit in the existing location. There is land to be used to the south and north sides of the pool to make it bigger. Or, dare I say perhaps the Curling Rink could be relocated because it’s getting a little tired too and the pool could expand west a bit? These are just ideas that may not have been thought of yet.
The Town did a great job of replacing all the outdoor playgrounds around town a few years ago and I commend you for that. Can I go out on a limb here and suggest that in a country where we seem to have six to seven months of winter, perhaps an indoor playground could be considered in a new pool complex? I’m just thinking …
Debbie Bender
