Committee to save Norwood pool calling on residents to show support through BBQ

Some Norwood residents are hoping a good old-fashioned summer barbecue will help rally support to save their beloved community pool.

The Norwood Pool is slated for closure after the end of the summer, but some residents have been working to halt the City of Winnipeg's plan to shut the pool down.

Monique Lacoste, a lifelong Norwood resident and chair of the Save Norwood Pool Committee, says the goal is to get as many people to barbecue as possible to show how much love there is for the pool in the community.

"We want to make sure they're aware of the issue, and invite them down for an opportunity to connect with neighbours, show their love for the pool, and tell us what the pool personally means to them," she said.

A natural aquifer under the facility had risen to the point where groundwater was seeping into the swimming water, contaminating the pool, city officials say.

The committee had its first meeting with city staff last week, and has another one scheduled in September. They've also had discussions with St. Boniface Coun. Matt Allard, who had previously asked the city to prepare a report to dive into the details of why a closure is necessary.

An engineer told them thatclosing the pool could be as costly as repairing it and keeping it open, Lacoste said.

Lacoste said she thinks the push to save the pool is gaining momentum.

"I've rarely encountered, in all my years, a subject or an issue that really galvanized the community as much as this one is," she said.

The pool was built in 1962.

A city spokesperson had previously said the cost to replace an outdoor pool in Winnipeg runs anywhere from $4 million to $6 million, based on the pool's size.

With files from Samantha Samson