The Cache Creek pool, which was last open during the 2019 season, will be closed permanently, and at least some of the pool infrastructure removed.
At their meeting on Oct. 21, Cache Creek council voted to direct staff to take action to permanently close and decommission the Cache Creek Recreational Pool. The other option before them was to direct staff to take steps to repair and remediate the 50-year-old facility in anticipation of it reopening.
The vote was four to one in favour of closing and decommissioning the pool, with Mayor John Ranta opposed.
“I’m not in favour of closing down the pool,” he said. “It’s valued at well over $500,000. To throw away a half-million-dollar facility makes no sense to me.”
The decision comes after a survey asking residents about the future of the pool, a request for written submissions, and a public hearing about the pool on Oct. 7, which was attended by some 40 residents. Feedback from the survey and in writing (54 submissions) and the meeting (a dozen people spoke) showed that residents were two-to-one in favour of closing the pool, with many suggesting that council look at building a splash or water park instead.
Aging and deteriorating pool infrastructure, the cost of remediation, and other demands on village finances in light of recent flooding were all cited by residents as reasons not to reopen the pool. Those in favour of keeping it open spoke of the need for recreational facilities in the village, particularly for children and youth, and the attraction of a pool for prospective residents and for tourists.
A report presented to council in March 2022 noted that the estimated cost of repairing the pool to ensure it was operational was between $107,000 and $142,500 if no other deficiencies were found. The estimated cost of running the pool for the season was an additional $194,605 to $230,105, depending on the length of the season.
Coun. Carmen Ranta, a former lifeguard and pool manager, said that while she was passionate about the pool, “sometimes the decision you want to make isn’t the best decision.” She thanked the people who came out to the public meeting, and acknowledged that the pool means a lot to the people of the community.
However, she noted that since being elected to council in 2022 she had become aware of the financial pressures facing the village for infrastructure needs, upkeep and replacement, and roads, among other things. She also cited the need for long-term planning, the community attitude toward tax increases, priorities within the village, and declining and reduced revenues.
She also mentioned the difficulty of finding lifeguards and Aquafit instructors. “There are challenges across Canada in finding lifeguards. The Ashcroft pool almost didn’t open. It has impacted Aquafit programs in large cities.” She added that the village has encouraged youth and adults in Cache Creek to become lifeguards, even offering to pay for training, with limited success.
“This is an extremely difficult decision for me, but I believe the best decision for the community at this time is to permanently close the pool.”
Mayor Ranta asked if there was an estimated cost for closing and decommissioning the pool. CAO Damian Couture said that council would have to give direction on what that looked like, but that within the last six months the village had received an estimate of $250,000 for returning the site to bare land, which included taking down the existing buildings.
Coun. Sue Peters said that the decision to close and decommission the pool was just the first step. “Future steps would include deciding which parts of the facility would be remediated to use for other things.”
