outdoor pools in Winnipeg

why do some areas of our city seemingly have all the outdoor pools.. and others.. none at all?

serious question, not an election one people (well sorta not)

I've no idea. Squeaky wheel?

When was the last time an outdoor pool was constructed?

well kildonan park was upgraded... no idea when the last one was built

Maybe that's why there aren't any in the suburbs?

I can't remember the last time one was built - we're going back at least 40 years, I think.

DeanK, methinks your map is not accurate. Can't see the one at Northwood CC or Tyndall Park CC. Isn't there a spray pad at Dakota, don't see it either. Anyway, I wonder if the distribution might be a throw back to the pre Unicity days. Don't see any in what would have been Old Kildonan or West Kildonan.

I hope that a spray pad opens up in the Maples area. I know it probably won't since we are not in the core or north end...sigh.

A recent survey showed that the Maples has more privately owned backyard pools than the core or the North End, so there is no need for one.

However, if elected, Judy will enact a bylaw which require the licensing of all privately owned pools and require owners to provide 6 hours per week of public access. Grants will be available to residents of the inner city and the North End to build back yard pools, afterall, its a fundamental human right that all children be allowed access to a pool.

If you read what I wrote I said I was hoping for a spray pad...not a pool.

Oh sh1t, spraypads will have to covered by another bylaw.

Freeman wrote:Oh sh1t, spraypads will have to covered by another bylaw.

Considering Judy...it'll be in the "Pissing in the wind" Act.

Freeman wrote:DeanK, methinks your map is not accurate. Can't see the one at Northwood CC or Tyndall Park CC. Isn't there a spray pad at Dakota, don't see it either. Anyway, I wonder if the distribution might be a throw back to the pre Unicity days. Don't see any in what would have been Old Kildonan or West Kildonan.

I said pools. not wading pools and spraypads

I think the city focused more on indoor pools than outdoor, since there's more usage available, and it's not that much more expensive to build.

If you think about it...an indoor pool is basically the same as an outdoor, but you build a warehouse over the top of it, plus maintenance costs are cut significantly because the pool is not subjected to the elements.

Even the outdoor pools have to have the showers/changing areas, and other components the indoor ones do.

Personally, if I were allowed to vote on building a new outdoor pool...I'd vehemently vote NO. I'd be more inclined to support building covers/warehouses over the existing outdoor pools to make them year-round facilities.

Deank wrote:I said pools. not wading pools and spraypads

Wading pools & splashpads though...I wouldn't mind seeing more of these.

These are better for the small children, provides a place to relax & cool off, and should be in walking distance from most areas to provide accessibility for as many as possible.

An indoor wading pool/splash pad would not be bad either...but they are not as expensive to build or maintain...so would probably not be reasonable to enclose unless as part of an indoor pool (like PanAm has).

You are actually talking in order of 6 million difference.

Deank wrote:You are actually talking in order of 6 million difference.

Between indoor & outdoor?
I'm afraid your numbers are off.

It's more like $2M, and adds nearly 8 months per year of usage.
We've built 3 of them. (Should say we rebuilt 3 of them)

also.. I would not mind the "lack" of pools if our bus service could actually be used to get to one. Say from my place to kildonan park

Its going to take me 1 hour, right now, during peak hours when there are more buses running and that is with a 16 minute walk AND that is IF the buses actually meet for teh transfer point.

AGEsAces wrote:

Deank wrote:You are actually talking in order of 6 million difference.

Between indoor & outdoor?
I'm afraid your numbers are off.

It's more like $2M, and adds nearly 8 months per year of usage.
We've built 3 of them. (Should say we rebuilt 3 of them)

3 indoor pools have not been built in Winnipeg in recent history. Rebuilt? perhaps. But then you are missing out on alot of the expenses.

The maintenance of an indoor pool is apparently incredible. The humidity is very hard on the envelope which requires constant maintenance and upgrading. I can see Seven Oaks pool from my kitchen and it seems that there is always a crew there every summer doing something. They just put a new roof on it, and I'm sure that they don't get 20 years out of a roof.

And then theres the Sherbrook Pool, which has been a shithole for at least 3 decades and was to be demolished, but a citizens group, which knows much more than the engineers, lobbied to keep it, again, at much expense to the City.

yup

Thinking of kildonan park and how insanely busy it was this summer. It obvious that Winnipeggers want stuff like an outdoor pool. Winter time.. not so much most of the public swims are very far from packed so building another indoor pool would be suspect regardless of how much longer it is used we really dont need another indoor one. other then our massive waterpark

But it certainly would be nice to have another kildonan park type pool in the city. Maybe even out charlsewood way.

actually dean...the costs are higher to rebuild than build.

in a rebuild, there are demolition and removal costs, plus relocation costs for any plumbing, electrical, mechanical.

We recently (in the last 10 years) rebuilt the St. James Civic Centre pool building.

Costs for building from scratch an indoor pool vs. outdoor pool are basically the same, save the building foundation & envelope. Also, the costs for the concrete for an outdoor pool is MORE expensive, because it has to be designed for the -30C and below temperatures while being untended.

And Freeman, the costs are not as bad anymore.
Engineers have designed ways of both minimizing the humidity, and envelopes which are designed to withstand what humidity does exist.

For example, the St. James Civic Centre is a salt-water pool, so the usual chlorine (or similar chemical) is no longer corroding the envelope, and the gas is not hovering on the water damaging the pool edges.

As far as roof repair goes...TYPICALLY, a commercial roof is good for about 15 years, unless there's some kind of water damage (usually from water buildup or ice buildup), and it's almost as easy (and cheap) to resurface a roof, than try to tie-in a patch...plus you get an additional warranty out of it.

On a year you DON'T see a construction crew hitting one of the buildings...that's when you should be concerned. Many of these buildings that are city-run have a maintenance budget. If they don't use that money, they lose that money...so they will usually FIND something if they need to.

AGEsAces wrote:I think the city focused more on indoor pools than outdoor, since there's more usage available, and it's not that much more expensive to build.

If you think about it...an indoor pool is basically the same as an outdoor, but you build a warehouse over the top of it, plus maintenance costs are cut significantly because the pool is not subjected to the elements.


However, a big water park or two would be justified imo. That'll keep kids out of gangs eh?

Obviously you've never had an indoor pool.

The friggin' costs to maintain one are astronomical!!

The building they're in has to be it's own little world because of the high humidity levels.

I won't even go into the costs of heating the water and the room itself. Those costs alone will support a small African village for a century.

Compare this to a concave chunk of concrete with some unheated water in it and you'll find a big difference to the taxpayer.