Saint John Council is asking the Fundy Regional Service Commission to reconsider funding the Canada Games Aquatic Centre during major renovations.
Council voted to send a formal request after the commission rejected a $125,000 funding request from the centre’s general manager Andrea Foster.
Councillor Greg Norton brought the notice of motion forward, and said the funds are necessary to prevent significant layoffs and operational challenges.
“We will lose very experienced employees, and there will be litigation, I am sure, as a result of this, and there will be buyouts as a result of this if we can’t see this bridge funding into place,” he said.
The Saint John Aquatic Centre requires a 15-to-18-month closure for a fit-up to prepare for the 2029 Canada Summer Games, which it’s co-hosting with the city of Moncton.
The upgrades amount to $25 million.
RELATED: Canada Games Aquatic Centre prepares for $25M in upgrades
According to a staff report, Foster requested funding to move the centre’s fitness, swim, and recreational programs to other spaces, such as local schools and pools, during the closure.
Coun. Norton said if transitional funding is not provided, between 100 and 150 employees would face layoffs, leaving the city to pay for severance and deal with higher onboarding costs when the facility reopens.
Norton added that without transitional programs, members of the centre will have to find alternative facilities, making it difficult to win them back.
Coun. Ryan Moore and Coun. Brian Wyatt both agreed with Norton and noted the facility’s regional value.
“The people at the Canada Games Aquatic answer everything. Our family has shared the pool with swimming lessons from little ones all the way from Hampton up to Grand Bay, many, many, many times over,” said Moore. “The people that actually enjoy this facility and get the benefits truly make it a regional facility, and we have to remember that.”
Moore also pointed to the importance of the centre’s staff, which he called “the heart of the place.”
On the other hand, Coun. Wyatt commended Norton for bringing these conversations to the public. He said it’s important people understand that without regional support, these facilities may not survive.
“There’s a lot of talk about dollars and cents and nickels and dimes, and not a lot of talk about what if the Canada Games Aquatic Center doesn’t exist anymore, what if the TD Station doesn’t exist anymore, what if the Sea Dogs can’t play in Saint John anymore,” he said.
“Having this come out in an open session, I think it’s important because the public needs to know that the Canada Games Aquatic Centre could be at risk here, or that the TD Station could be at risk or the Saint John Arts Centre.”
Coun. Gina Hooley said the regional facilities are part of the quality of life that residents enjoy in the area, and encouraged residents from the communities encompassing the Fundy Regional Service Commission — which includes Hampton, Grand Bay-Westfield, Fundy-St. Martins, and the valley — to write letters to their local councils and advocate for the facility.
Council first voted to waive the procedural bylaw that would require them to wait two weeks to debate it before voting on it.
Coun. Norton requested that council waive the procedure due to “meeting sensitivity” with the region that was set to happen this week.
Council voted unanimously to pass the motion.
