Olympic-sized swimming pool in Mississauga? Not so fast, council says

Mississauga councillors say they like the idea of having an Olympic-sized swimming pool in the city, but they’re not prepared to burden residents with more tax hikes in order to get one.

That was the collective sentiment expressed Wednesday at city council where Mississauga municipal politicians unanimously agreed to investigate the possibility of building what would be the first 50-metre pool in Canada’s seventh-largest city.

Such a plan, though, remains a long way down the road and would only come to fruition, councillors said, with significant funding help from the provincial government and/or partnerships formed with neighbouring municipalities or other entities.

An Olympic-sized pool would cost upwards of $150 million to build in addition to costs associated with purchasing the required three to five acres of land, City of Mississauga officials said. And that’s if a suitable parcel of land could be found within the city’s borders.

Additionally, operating costs would be around $2 million a year, noted Ward 8 Coun. and Deputy Mayor Matt Mahoney, who spoke strongly against the city putting big money into an Olympic-sized pool — especially after having increased taxes just a few months ago.

“If we could say that the province could fund this, and not the taxpayers of Mississauga, I’d be the first one to sign on,” Mahoney told his council colleagues on Wednesday. “The general concept of a 50-metre pool and sports — I’ve been very clear on that, that I certainly do support that, but I wouldn’t support it unless the province was funding.”

Ward 8 Coun. and Deputy Mayor Matt Mahoney, shown here at city council on Wednesday, likes the idea of Mississauga having an Olympic-sized swimming pool, but only if taxpayers don’t have to pay for it.

The councillor also pointed out the city’s long-range strategic plans, contained in its Future Directions document and informed by exhaustive consultation with residents and others, do not include an Olympic-sized pool and the potentially enormous costs associated with such a project.

“We have not budgeted for that,” Mahoney said. “So if we were to move forward as a municipality to fund that, something else would have to be taken away.”

Plans for Olympic-sized pool previously explored

Plans to build a 50-metre pool as part of an aquatics centre in Mississauga were previously explored in 2009. At that time, Mississauga partnered with Oakville and Milton to get such a facility built in time for the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto, but funding concerns prevented the project from leaving the starting block.

Since then, the idea has resurfaced on several occasions in Mississauga, mostly as discussions that did not lead to anything concrete.

The most-recent discussion around the council table was prompted by a motion from Ward 2 Coun. Alvin Tedjo to explore the feasibility of constructing a 50-metre swimming pool in the city to add to the number of 25-metre pools already in use. His motion also called for an effort to get the provincial government on board to help pay for such a facility.

“We’re not looking to expend additional dollars right now; we’re looking for partners” to help pay for an Olympic-sized pool that would greatly benefit both competitive and recreational swimmers in Mississauga, in addition to other groups, Tedjo said on Wednesday.

Ward 2 Coun. Alvin Tedjo wants to see a 50-metre swimming pool built in Mississauga. Some of the city’s community centres currently feature 25-metre pools.

He added such a facility would add to Mississauga’s standing as a “world-class city” while also helping to fulfil a city responsibility.

“This is, I think, part of our core business to provide spaces like this and that we give our residents an opportunity to continue moving through the spectrum of their sport or their activity,” Tedjo said. “We start with (city program) Learn to Swim; these are our residents, they become competitive athletes, they’re still our residents. And we’re providing them the space in which to do that.”

Mayor Carolyn Parrish said finding partners to share the significant cost of a new Olympic-sized pool is a must. Otherwise, the idea will once again go nowhere.

She suggested speaking with neighbouring municipalities Etobicoke, Brampton and “Oakville and Milton again” before going any further “to see if there’s something we can do as a unit rather than taking this cost on ourselves.”

Mahoney said University of Toronto Mississauga might be a strong partner as well, if it’s willing.

“… they’ve got a campus, they’ve got a great facility there, they could add on a 50-metre pool that could service their student base and could service others,” he said.

Shortage of 50-metre pools in Ontario 

A recent report from the Aquatic Sport Council of Ontario identified a significant shortage of aquatic facilities in the province, particularly 50-metre swimming pools, compared to the growing population.

“Most indoor 50-metre pools in Ontario were constructed between 1970 and 2010, with only four built after 2000, according to a 2023 study by Aquatic Associates,” the council wrote in its report.

“This lack of infrastructure negatively affects community vibrancy by limiting options for learn-to-swim lessons, recreational aquatic activities, water-based rehabilitation programs, water-based sports and opportunities for local sport tourism.”

The council is urging the provincial government to put funding opportunities in place to help build regional recreational centres with larger pools.

The report noted a 50-metre pool “can bring three times the programming for twice the pool size.”