The people have spoken – Oshawa to rebuild Rotary Pool

Oshawa | Durham | Latest News | Lifestyle | Politics |

By

Published September 23, 2021 at 10:42 am

Once in a while, the public does get what they want in dealings with City Hall.

Rotary Pool in Oshawa has been closed for three seasons because of poor condition and after numerous studies and reports city staff recommended tearing down the outdoor leisure pool and building an outdoor rink in its place.

So Oshawa put the question to the people: what do you want to see on the site?

The “overwhelming” response was they want their pool back.

Residents were given two options for the redevelopment of Rotary Park:

  • Option A – A new leisure pool, major splash pad and destination playground, at a cost of about $8 million or,
  • Option B – A combined major splash pad/ice rink and minor playground with a slightly cheaper price tag of $7 million

When a federal infrastructure grant for the project was rejected, City staff recommended Option B, but Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter knew the redevelopment of the site was something the community felt strongly about, so it was important to him and Council that public consultation should decide council’s direction.

“We wanted to make sure we got it right.”

Nearly 1,000 responses were received during the four-week consultation and 80 per cent supported the pool option.

“The support was overwhelming, so it will be at Council Monday for approval,” Carter said.

The project will be partially funded through development charges ($1.1 million) and reserves ($2.26 million).

If approved, construction is scheduled to be completed in late 2023.

insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising