I recount my memories as a child, joyously splashing around in the Lions outdoor pool regularly in Woodstock. As I grew older, the pool remained an integral part of my life, providing me a space for lane swim, Aquafit, and nurturing my children's fondness for water and providing a place for them to enjoy the hot summer weather. I strongly believe that an outdoor pool is a quintessential amenity in Woodstock, especially considering our city's burgeoning population and our increasingly warm summers.

Unfortunately, the promise to build an outdoor swimming pool to replace Lions Pool in summer 2023, has been unfulfilled, to the dismay of many like me, who're being forced to travel to neighbouring communities to enjoy an outdoor swim. This is not only inconvenient but also undesirable as we prefer to participate in community-based activities within our city.

Woodstock has a population of around 40,902 people (source: Canada's 2016 Census). Using national statistics as a reference, about 60% of Canadians are interested in swimming (source: Canadian Fitness Level Research 2016), meaning an estimated 24,541 people in Woodstock share this interest. This high number clearly supports the pressing need for our promised pool.

2024 has already proved to be a hot spring and summer, with heat waves/ seasonably hot weather in May, June, and now July. During the spring heatwaves, Southside Aquatic Center (the indoor swimming pool), only offered public swimming opportunities on the weekends due to the high demand for swimming lessons. Other communities like Stratford, could offer free evening swims during the June heatwave due to having a second swimming location in their outdoor pool. I want Woodstock to be able to offer additional public swims during heat waves to help citizens cool down in a fun and highly effective way in addition to the city's air conditioned cooling centers.  

An additional pool during the summer months, when more citizens want to go swimming, gives the city more facilities to increase program offerings like public swims, swimming lessons, lane swim times, swim meet practices, summer camp swim opportunities, and Aquafit times. It could also provide a facility for other programming that our city doesn't currently offer like water polo, synchronized swimming, triathlons, swim party rentals, outdoor pool party movie nights, and more.

Swimming is an inclusive activity that people of varying physical abilities, fitness levels, ages, cultural backgrounds, and socio-economic status can participate in. 

There are limited outdoor swimming opportunities in Woodstock, as Pittock reservoir's water is unsafe for swimming.

Installing and up-keeping a personal backyard pool is expensive and a privilege that not everyone in our city has access to. Plus a personal backyard pool may not perform all of the functions of a public pool like many are not large enough for lane swimming or have a deep end. Also, most backyard pools are not attended to by a qualified lifeguard. A public, life-guarded, outdoor pool, provides a place that youth over 10 can swim safely without the supervision of a Parent/Guardian. Pooling our resources and using communal water for outdoor swimming versus each household using water, heating, and other resources for an individual backyard pool also lessons our city's water and resource consumption, and assists with decreasing our city's environmental impact. 

Not everyone has the capability to drive to an outdoor pool or swimming location that is not on a City of Woodstock bus route or located within the city boundaries. Nor is sending our citizens to swim outside in a different municipality versus in our own city like in the past beneficial to the many businesses in our community who may benefit from community members staying in Woodstock for their swimming needs versus travelling elsewhere. Having the option for citizens to swim outside within their own city versus travelling elsewhere also assists in decreasing our city's carbon footprint and helps our city combat climate change. I would like for our city to provide citizens with fun, recreational activities in our city boundaries versus continuing to be a "commuter" city, where citizens need to drive elsewhere to have access to recreational services. 

Woodstock does have splash pads (with a new one opening soon- yay!), but an outdoor pool provides a different function of allowing for the whole body to be submerged and for swimming skills to be developed. A swimming pool also meets the needs of adults and children versus splash pads catering to the needs of just children.

Woodstock is also about to lose its spray and play wading pool after this season due to a change room addition in that location at Southside Aquatic Center. It includes shallow standing water and is another location for outdoor swimming in addition to the indoor pool (please see the upcoming petition to save the spray and play wading pool).  

With this in mind, we implore the decision-makers in our city to honour their commitment and make strides towards the construction of the outdoor pool as promised. A fulfilled promise would not only benefit us water enthusiasts but also contribute to making Woodstock a more vibrant, inclusive, and healthy community. 

Let our voices echo in the ears of those who can bring about this influential change. Sign our petition today and assist us in bringing this vision to life.

 

 

 

 

Have your say!

Please also consider sending an email directly to the city council about why an outdoor pool is a valuable amenity for Woodstock in your own words and from your perspective. The contacts for city council can be found here: https://www.cityofwoodstock.ca/en/city-governance/council-and-council-meetings.aspx

Read More!

Here are news articles about the proposed outdoor pool and the subsequent denial of this proposal:

https://www.heartfm.ca/news/local-news/woodstock-denies-the-replacement-of-lions-pool/​ 

https://www.heartfm.ca/news/local-news/woodstock-council-votes-in-favour-of-new-pool-at-cowan-fields/​

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/outdoor-pools-southwestern-ontario-1.7250099

Some possible desired outcomes of this petition are for the city council to explore the following potential options: 

1. Woodstock city council reconsiders their March 2024 decision to no longer build a new outdoor pool in Woodstock. (including providing the opportunity for a town hall discussion on the importance of the outdoor pool. Giving a place for community members to share why an outdoor pool is valuable for the city.)
2. Woodstock city council analyses the cost to renovate the existing site of Lions Pool versus building the outdoor pool at the new proposed site of Cowan Fields. (Does it cost less to renovate the Lions pool versus building a new outdoor pool?)
3. Woodstock city council provides the opportunity for community donors to pay and community partners to fund-raise for the new outdoor pool/ renovating Lions Pool versus using taxpayer money (as saving property tax dollars was a reason given for not funding a new outdoor pool).
4. Woodstock city council explores building an outdoor pool with community partners such as Southwestern Ontario YMCA (as the city providing lifeguards and paying for operational/ maintenance costs was also a concern of a city councilor). 
5. Going forward, Woodstock city council provides notice to the public and gives an opportunity for public stakeholder input before making a decision that might include denying a public service amenity. This could include advertising a public meeting about the future funding of an amenity and a future city council decision on the local radio, in What's On Woodstock, local papers, and social media advertisements. Also, to include an article in What's On Woodstock and the homepage of the city of Woodstock website/ notices at city facilities' memo boards when a public amenity is no longer being funded as promised or is being permanently closed, so the public is aware. (this comes from the fact that many community members were unaware of the city council's decision to deny the funding of a new outdoor pool in March 2024.) 

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Thank you to any citizens of Woodstock and to citizens of neighbouring communities who see value in Woodstock having an outdoor pool to meet our community's recreational needs. I appreciate you taking the time to voice your commitment to an outdoor pool in Woodstock. 

Share your voice and learn more- join our public Facebook Group: 

"Save Woodstock's Public Swimming Amenities": https://www.facebook.com/share/PATNWu3C9FuApF4L/?mibextid=A7sQZp