The Milton Centennial Pool suffered severe damage in last July’s torrential rains and floods. (Rick Conrad)

The Milton Centennial Pool will remain closed this summer.

“It is very, very unfortunate, but the Milton pool will not be opening this year,” Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman said Monday.

The pool suffered significant damage in last July’s torrential rains and floods. Councillors heard Monday that it would cost from $100,000 to $150,000 to fix the pool.

The rains and flooding last summer damaged the pool liner. Even though the region ordered a new liner immediately, it arrived only in late December. So staff winterized the structure as best they could, according to Adam Grant, the region’s director of engineering and public works.

This spring, the region’s staff discovered the base of the pool had been damaged even further.

Grant said it would take about 12 weeks to do the work, with the “best-case scenario” of having the pool open by August.

Mayor Darlene Norman said the North Queens Aquatic Centre in Caledonia will be open.

“Unfortunately, for this summer we will be unable to provide seasonal swimming lessons at Milton pool,” Norman said in an interview.

“We did make the decision and we made it now so that we don’t have people’s hopes up.”

The region is going ahead with hiring lifeguards for the pool in Caledonia. CAO Cody Joudry said the pool staff hired will be employed for the whole summer. 

Councillors decided to keep the $40,000 budgeted for Milton pool operations in this year’s budget. They suggested that money could go toward extending the hours at the pool in Caledonia, covering mileage for lifeguards who have to travel to Caledonia or working out a deal with Queens County Transit to provide transportation for pool users in south Queens to north Queens.

They asked staff to report back with recommendations on what to do this summer and next year, until the new outdoor pool at Queens Place Emera Centre can be built.

Last Friday, Queens MLA Kim Masland announced $2.2 million in provincial funding toward the $7.2-million pool. The region has already committed $2 million, with another $3 million coming from a private anonymous donor.

Norman said last week that the region hopes to start construction in spring 2025, with an opening in 2026.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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Milton Centennial Pool. Photo Ed Halverson

An outdoor pool proposal was met with excitement and questions from Region of Queens Council.

The Queens Community Aquatic Society presented a plan to build a four-lane 82-foot-long pool on municipal land.

The society estimates the cost to build the pool, a therapy pool and accompanying structures at just shy of $3.4 million.

Society vice president Deborah Spartinelli says a pair of anonymous donors has agreed to pay $3 million in exchange for naming rights and the society is looking for the municipality to provide the land, excavation, and infrastructure connections.

Spartinelli says the society needs the Region of Queens as a partner so they can continue to fundraise for the project.

“The region has to be a part of it otherwise you cannot go to the federal or the provincial government and say I’d like to access this grant, or you know, green grant or any of that kind of thing” said Spartinelli. “We don’t have a charitable status and we don’t intend to get one because it’s intensive. So, the region can give tax receipts for people who donate.”

Some councillors were excited to begin the project, but Mayor Darlene Norman was more reserved in her response.

“Yes, someone’s got the money and here you can have it, and yes they’re going to work and create money for operating deficits. Do we have time to form committees and move right ahead on this this year? That’s the question,” said Norman. “Is it a great thing? Yes, it is, because if you look at our 23-24 capital budget, you’ll see that there’s $2.5 million that Region of Queens has proposed to have been spent.”

The region has set aside that $2.5 million to look at replace the aging Milton pool.

Spartinelli would like construction on the new pool to begin in 2023 but understands to do that the process needs to get underway as soon as possible.

Norman is not so keen to assume responsibility for operating another recreation facility, noting Queens Place cost taxpayers $1 million last year.

“We really have to understand what it’s going to look like and how it’s going to impact our area residents in the coming years. Because a lot of people in Queens County are low income and when deficits occur, they occur on the operating budget and taxes go up,” said Norman.

Spartinelli says the society has a plan to operate the pool without increasing taxes.

“Our goal from the start was to raise the money to build it but also raise money to put in an endowment fund so that the interest from that fund could pay for the running of it,” said Spartinelli. “So, there would be no tax raise in Queens. Nobody would have to worry about trying to come up with more taxes to pay for this”

The mayor is questioning why the Region should be taking this project on at all.

“Who says the Region of Queens have to own and operate it?” asked Norman. “I personally believe that sometimes a good non-profit organization and I’m not saying the same people who have worked hard to get to this point on the ones that have to, but who’s to say that a non-profit organization could not do a better job than we do?”

Spartinelli would like residents to contact their councillors and make their support for a new pool known.

“We’re giving them a gift,” said Spartinelli. “We’re not asking for much. Just give us the OK and let’s get started”

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Region of Queens Administration Building. Photo Ed Halverson

A surprise announcement during the public comments portion of their latest meeting has Region of Queens council buzzing.

Deborah Spartinelli, vice-president of the Queens County Aquatic Association informed council her organization had received a $3 million anonymous donation to be put towards the construction of a new outdoor pool.

Mayor Darlene Norman says the group is interested in discussing a potential partnership arrangement with the region.

“Because we all know that we have an outdoor pool in Milton that has been bandaged together and really needs replacement.”

Norman anticipates the group will make a presentation to council at their next meeting to explore a partnership.

The public comment section also brought to council’s attention that there are issues with people being able to properly hear what’s being said in council chambers.

Council had looked at upgrading sound and video in the room last year, but the effort was shelved when the public balked at spending over $100,000 to solve the problem.

Norman says she’s now heard from several public and staff sources that people are struggling to hear and it’s time to address the issue.

“I know of someone who sits on one of our committees. He wears a hearing aid, and he has become so frustrated with his inability to hear in that room,” said Norman. “If the sound quality is so poor in that room, we have to fix it.”

Norman says a quick poll of councillors showed most are in favour of prioritizing solving the sound issues over the video issues.

She says money has been set aside to fix the sound problems in this year’s draft budget.

Council also approved flying the Autism Acceptance flag and the Ukrainian flag on the special purpose pole outside the Liverpool Cultural Arts Centre.

The Astor Theatre, located in the Arts Centre, asked to have the rent charges waived for the months of January and February.

Norman says council was understanding that despite the theatre’s best efforts they couldn’t open during that time.

“COVID rules and protocols shut the door on them again,” said Norman. “So, we approved that we would waive their rent which is a $1,000 loss.”

In conversation with QCCR, Norman provided a peek into the ongoing budget process and says the news is good.

“Due to all kinds of unexpected monies coming in from federal government, the province doubling their funds, deed transfer flying way higher than anyone ever thought, we are projected a very large surplus at the end of March to the tune of probably $3.2-$3.4 million.”

Norman will discuss the budget in more detail later this week.

E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
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