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![\"Ruth](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/4131362_web1_260410-Eldon-Ross-Pool-3-.jpg\")
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Ruth Bonneville \/ Free Press<\/p>\n
Samantha Amaral, principal of Brooklands School.<\/p>\n
Coun. Vivian Santos said it\u2019s unfortunate a private owner couldn\u2019t step in to save the pool, which residents fought to keep.<\/p>\n
Santos (Point Douglas) said there appeared to be interest in doing so two years ago, when the city first looked for buyers.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am disappointed that\u2026 actually it didn\u2019t come to fruition. I understand that swimming is a necessity, but I also do understand that the long-term vision for aquatics is to have much larger pools,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The Sergeant Tommy Prince (formerly North Centennial Recreation and Leisure Facility), Cindy Klassen and Kinsmen Sherbrook pools are alternatives located in the inner city.<\/p>\n
While city staff say councillors could opt to revise the rules of the pool\u2019s sale to seek buyers a second time, Santos said she expects its closure will be permanent.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately, it costs quite a bit of money to deal with aquatics, and so I (want) to be mindful of our financial constraints,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
In 2024, the city estimated it would cost about $10 million to repair and maintain the Eldon Ross pool.<\/p>\n
Santos said she is committed to finding another amenity for the same site, such as an indoor gym or an outdoor \u201cwater play\u201d structure that is much larger than the standard splash pad. She said a feasibility study and public consultation would help determine the best option.<\/p>\n
Samantha Amaral, principal of Brooklands School, said the pool is missed by her students and their families.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m disappointed it\u2019s not open. No matter how we go about doing that, I wish that it was still an option for this community,\u201d Amaral said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen it was open, it was the place for our students to go after school, somewhere they could get physical activity, as well as be with friends, socializing, with family, a safe place to be.\u201d <\/p>\n
She said the pool was well-loved and well-used, especially since there is no community club and few other recreation options nearby.<\/p>\n
The pool, which is located next to Brooklands School\u2019s playground, once hosted its Grade 3 swim program. Now students have to bus to other facilities for those lessons.<\/p>\n
Amaral said any recreation option is better than keeping the site vacant, but other amenities won\u2019t teach swimming or survival skills around water.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think (the pool is) important for the community\u2026 I don\u2019t think the desire to have a pool has lessened at all,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The city staff report says the sole bid to buy the pool \u201clacked a comprehensive plan to ensure continued public access to the pool, did not adequately address pricing and failed to provide sufficient evidence of available funding or relevant experience\u201d of the proposed owner.<\/p>\n
Staff suggest the city now consider exploring other options, such as imposing fewer conditions on the sale or selling\/leasing the property for a different use.<\/p>\n
The city\u2019s inability to sell the pool and still ensure public access to it underlines the challenges of maintaining the aging facility, said Coun. Evan Duncan (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood).<\/p>\n
\u201cThe infrastructure has reached its end of life and, without support, with actual operating dollars and potential capital investment by the City of Winnipeg into Eldon Ross, it\u2019s not a viable project,\u201d said Duncan, the chairman of council\u2019s property and development committee.<\/p>\n
He said he believes the city needs to explore potential partnerships with the private sector to make public pools more sustainable in the future.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we don\u2019t come up with a plan, unfortunately, we could see more situations like this, where\u2026 if you don\u2019t invest \u2018X\u2019 amount of dollars, (another) pool has to be considered for closure,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n
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While Duncan did not lay out exactly how a partnership with a private operator could work in Winnipeg, he said some Alberta cities have successfully allowed the YMCA to operate publicly owned pools.<\/p>\n
The property and development committee is set to debate the report Thursday.<\/p>\n
Any changes would require city council approval.<\/p>\n
joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca<\/p>\n
X: @joyanne_pursaga<\/p>\n
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Joyanne Pursaga Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Joyanne produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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