Rob Carnie - I've seen the buzz on social media. A lot of people, and I mean kids of all ages, including some of my friends who are in their 50s and 60s, are pretty excited about the Phyllis Dewar Outdoor Pool opening up soon.
Maryse Carmichael - It is opening soon. On June 16th our Phyllis Dewar Outdoor Pool will be open, and I have to tell you, it’s one of my favorite times of the year because the day before we open the pool, I get to go and talk with all our lifeguards.
It's an annual event where they do some training at the outdoor pool, and the Sunday before the pool opens Mayor Murdoch is going to join me to go and meet them (when we) have all the lifeguards assembled. They do an important job; they're there to ensure that all our swimmers are safe. And yes, we will have the outdoor pool open for the entire summer.
Rob - And with the opening of the outdoor pool, the pool in the Kinsmen Sportsplex will shut down for a few weeks for annual maintenance.
Maryse - Every year we need to do a little maintenance to our beautiful facility at the Kinsmen Sportsplex. So, we will do some preventive maintenance, some cleaning of the area. When one pool opens, the other one closes for a little bit, but it's a quick period.
Rob - And we've also been talking for a couple of years now about replacing the Phyllis Dewar Outdoor Pool. Is there any news on that front?
Maryse - We're still looking at different ways to fund the new outdoor pool, it's not a secret for a lot of our residents that we have a number of major infrastructure projects in this city.
First and foremost, our lift station, the one that serves the entire city, needs to be replaced. So, we've applied for federal funding for this one. The outdoor pool is also important.
We're looking at different sources of funding, perhaps partnership with the federal provincial government. We have a federal government that's interested in major infrastructure projects.
So, we are ready to talk to all level levels of government about it to see because yes, our Phyllis Dewar Outdoor Pool is beautiful, it is cherished, but I think it it's time for a new one.
Rob - Well, I've been in contact with an old friend from the class of 1985 from Central Collegiate—they're having a reunion this summer—and one of the questions she asked— well she had heard about this new pool. She asked if the Phyllis Dewar Outdoor Pool is still going to be in operation this summer because they want to jump off the tower. And I said, yeah, so they are excited about that.
Maryse - Yes, it is open and it’s still there, and it will bring back a lot of memories.