'If you build it, people will come': Swim Nova Scotia pitches new pool for Annapolis Valley

Josh Hoffman · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 28, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 21 minutes ago

The province's governing assemblage for aquatics clubs is trying to drum up enactment for a caller aquatic installation successful the Annapolis Valley. 

Swim Nova Scotia has pitched a caller installation to the Municipality of the County of Kings and the Town of Wolfville during caller assembly meetings after Acadia University's surprise announcement successful February that it would permanently close its pool.

"We're conscionable trying to amended the municipalities connected the value of an aquatic facility," Bette El-Hawary, enforcement manager of the organization, said successful an interview. 

El-Hawary said an aquatic installation not lone supports the sport, but it benefits the wider community.

Acadia's 60-year-old excavation successful Wolfville, scheduled to adjacent June 15, has hosted a wide scope of assemblage programs and recreational and competitory teams.

"It leaves a immense void," El-Hawary said.

'Bigger is better'

Swim Nova Scotia would similar to spot a excavation of astatine slightest 25 metres and eight lanes but "ideally we would emotion to spot a 50-metre pool," said El-Hawary. 

That benignant of installation would outgo anyplace from $14 cardinal to $24 million, she said. The closest 50-metre contention excavation to Nova Scotia is successful Quebec. 

El-Hawary said determination are profitable aquatic facilities successful Uxbridge, Ont., and Boise, Idaho, that could service arsenic models. They are energy-efficient and were designed to beryllium capable to accommodate other programs and services, she said.

The Acadia pool, which is 25 metres agelong with six lanes, hosts 5 aquatics meets and assorted camps each twelvemonth and was moving astatine capableness astatine different times, she said.

Building a larger installation present makes consciousness due to the fact that request volition proceed to turn with Nova Scotia's rising population, El-Hawary said. 

"Bigger is better," she said during a presumption to Kings County assembly with Swim Nova Scotia president Martin Laycock connected April 15.

Coun. Everett MacPherson said helium believes astir areas would payment from such a facility but assembly would person to beryllium assured an concern of that size would beryllium worthy it. 

"It's a large expense," helium said during the meeting. "I deliberation we're looking for assurances that if we were to leap successful and spell done this expense, determination are assurances that the excavation would beryllium used."

Swim Nova Scotia volition besides inquire the provincial and national governments for backing to assistance screen construction, El-Hawary said, and determination would be many opportunities to enactment with assemblage groups and wellness agencies to guarantee the installation was good used.

The enactment is present processing a feasibility survey that it volition bring backmost to section governments aboriginal this year, but El-Hawary said they already cognize the request is there.

"If you physique it, radical volition come," she said astatine the assembly meeting.