Skip to content

LETTER: Speaking against the pool's six-week closure

I would like to respond to The Gazette article about an expansion to the fitness room at the aquatic centre.

Editor:

Re: $1.5-million expansion for aquatic centre in the works (July 13 issue of the Grand Forks Gazette)

I would like to respond to The Gazette article about an expansion to the fitness room at the aquatic centre.

We do desperately need it, as more and more people are trying to get healthy and fit. So then on that note, I want to voice my concern over the upcoming six-week closure of the aquatic centre, instead of the usual two for maintenance.

People have reached a certain level of fitness and six weeks will set them back to square one.

Others use the pool for physiotherapy, as it is the only way they can exercise.

You talked about it being mainly seniors using the facility, but there are young people using the facility too.

My daughter joins me for aquafit class every time she comes home, as she enjoys it.

We have people in our aquatic classes who are recovering from surgeries or injuries and the water helps them stay limber and works on muscle tone.

For some of the seniors it is the only way they can be limber and move like they used to – it is essential for their well-being.

A six-week closure would be detrimental to their quality of life.

This shouldn’t be about money; the people of Grand Forks and surrounding areas depend on the aquatic centre for their health and recreation.

We need the whole facility, not just the fitness room.

A success story from the aquatic centre was of a young high school student who was in a car accident and received quite a severe head trauma.

Between her mother, the staff at the aquatic centre and this young lady’s determination, she is now fully recovered, graduated and is living her life.

But if the pool had been closed for six weeks this may not have happened.

I’d like to appeal to the city, Area D and the recreation office to please reconsider.

There are people already looking for alternative ways to stay fit and we may lose those people to other venues and then the head count would go down even more. Just saying.

Leatta Leake, Grand Forks