A new indoor pool in Saugeen Shores is not yet a reality, but is a step closer.
Council voted 8-0 in favour of making a new $12-million two-tank indoor pool attached to The Plex in Port Elgin its preferred long-term solution for aquatics in the municipality.
Mayor Mike Smith says it's path forward for the long-debated pool issue in Saugeen Shores, as past councils were unable to reach a consensus after the 40-year old Port Elgin Centennial Pool reached the end of its life expectancy.
Smith says the multi-million dollar price tag is likely too steep for local taxpayers to handle on their own, so they will seek out at least two-thirds funding from senior levels of government before putting a shovel in the ground.
"The reality is, it's a pretty expensive proposition as a stand alone if we finance the entire thing from the tax base, which is probably not acceptable to this council. We've got an option here where we can take a portion ($4.5-million) of it as debt financing, some of it will be fundraised and hopefully we'll get a partner in either the federal or provincial government, or both," says Smith.
Meanwhile, the Centennial Pool will undergo work this summer to install used dehumidification equipment in order to extend its operations until a new pool is constructed.
