We the undersigned call on Mayor Scott Gillingham and all members of Winnipeg City Council to keep Happyland Pool open for the kids this summer.

Fundraising efforts met its goal for operation cost of $85,000!

Please help us encourage the City of Winnipeg to accept the community’s gift and keep Happyland Park's pool open for one summer!

Please sign the petition. 

Please consider sending an email to Mayor Gillingham to show your support 
Email to: mayorgillingham@winnipeg.ca 
Or phone: (204) 986‑5665

Campagne Le Sport Heureux – Happy Sport Campaign

Donations are still welcomed so that we can keep the momentum up. If you’d like to support the Happy Sports campaign so that kids and youth can have access to sports and recreational activities, please click here.

Please see below for more information.

 

 

 

 

FRIENDS OF HAPPYLAND POOL PERPLEXED AT COMMITTEE’S REJECTION OF THEIR $85k GIFT TO KEEP HAPPYLAND POOL OPEN THIS SUMMER.

In the past 48 hours, The Friends of Happyland Pool noted:

• The release of the alarming low D+ score on Participaction Canada’s 2024 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth highlighting the urgent need for municipalities to provide free local access to healthy activities.
• The success of their fundraising campaign which surpassed its $85,000 of operating funds needed by the City of Winnipeg to keep the Happyland Pool open this summer.
• It is unclear if the capital costs quoted include the costs for both the big pool and the wading pool, the latter of which was not intended to be part of the group's request. 
• The rejection of a motion at the Standing Policy Committee on Community Services meeting to keep the pool open in 2024, and confirmation of the City’s intent to demolish a swimming pool that still has 5 to 10 years of functional life and has served the community for six generations.
• The approval of a motion to accept a further $23 million dollar overrun of expenses for a recreation building in the Waverley suburb.

The members of The Friends of Happyland Pool, a collective of resident groups and not-for-profit organizations, are scratching their heads as they fail to understand why the committee would reject their gift of $85,000 and choose to close a much-loved facility despite now having the funds to keep it open. 

The interactions between the resident groups, their Councillor and the City have been strained due to confusion caused by lack of information or misinterpretation. Indeed, when Councillor Matt Allard, meant to speak on behalf of the group, was asked where he had sourced his budget numbers, he answered that he had pulled them from the Winnipeg Free Press articles. Another Councillor voted against the motion claiming that they believed the group would “want to keep the pool open forever”.

In response, The Friends of Happyland Pool wish to reiterate the facts:

• The community has raised $85,000 to cover the operating expenses of running the pool so that the City can open it this summer.
• No other direct expenses have been presented in detail by the City. While variable budget lines for capital costs and deferred maintenance expenses have been suggested, these have not been explained to the public nor to the Standing Policy Committee on Community Services.
• The pool is approaching the end of its useful life but still has 5-10 years of use. The City claims it has plans to develop year-round aquatic services but has not yet budgeted for a new facility to replace the Happyland Pool. Therefore, the Friends of Happyland Pool have put forward an offer to run consultation with the public and return to the City with a mid-term solution to keep the pool open until a long-term replacement solution is in place.
• The Friends of Happyland Pool have received donations and pledges from individuals and diverse groups including:
  - $22,500 from Manitoba Métis Federation (Winnipeg Local, Liberty Local, Conseil Elzéar-Goulet)
   - $15,000 from Réseau Compassion Network
   - $15,000 from Olexa Developments
   - $10,000 from the Government of Manitoba thanks to MLA Robert Loiselle 
   -  over $22,500 from individuals and businesses in the neighbourhood.
• While the donors are diverse in origins and scope, they all believe recognize the current and pressing need for keeping the pool open for the neighbourhood families and youth who do not necessarily have access to other facilities outside of the neighbourhood, let alone cottages and summer camps.
• They recognize the cost benefits and societal benefits of encouraging access to sports and recreational activities for youth and children, as highlighted in the Participaction Canada report. 
• They also recognize the need for the Friends of Happyland Pool to work with the City to determine how best to operate the pool in the mid-term until a sustainable solution is confirmed. Through their initial tangible contribution, they have demonstrated their commitment to the vision of a healthy and happy neighbourhood.

In light of these facts, the Friends of Happyland Pool would invite the Mayor. the members of the EPC, as well as all of the City Council members to accept the community’s gift of $ 85,000 and keep Happyland Pool open this coming summer to offer access to Winnipeg families and youth to an outdoor pool that has served residents for generations. In parallel, the Friends of Happyland Pool commits to a consultation with the public and working with the City to draft a proposal for mid- and long-term grounded and feasible solutions for access to local aquatic facilities.

All Winnipeg citizens who value community services and access to sports and recreation activities are encouraged to invite their local councillor to accept the $85,000 gift, keep the pool open this year, and work with community groups across the city on initiatives that drive a happy and healthy environment for all.