Annapolis Royal pool needs costly repairs to reopen by 2025

The non-profit group that runs the now-closed outdoor pool in Annapolis Royal, N.S., has called a meeting for Thursday evening to talk about what needs to be done to reopen it.

The pool's leaky 16-year-old liner can no longer be patched and needs to be replaced so the pool will remain closed this summer.

The Friends of the Annapolis Pool Society would like it back in operation by the summer of 2025, but the group will need to raise a lot of money to pay for costly repairs to achieve that.

Anna Kate Newman, a member of the society, said the initial estimate put the cost at $500,000. Subsequent estimates have suggested the job could be done for half that.

"We do believe now we're looking at needing to find and fundraise $250,000 to bring our pool back," Newman told CBC News. "Annapolis Royal is a seaside town of about 500 folks. Though we are small, we are mighty.

"We believe we can do it with a bit of ingenuity."

The society has already requested money from the Nova Scotia government, from the town and the municipality of the County of Annapolis.

"We'll be tackling it from different directions, with grants, with direct donation requests from businesses and individuals, and also through good old-fashioned fundraising," said Newman.

For many families who live in Annapolis Royal or vacation nearby, the local outdoor pool is popular place to gather with fiends or to simply take a dip.

"It'll be a real bad summer without a place to cool off and a place for the kids to find their friends," said Newman, who has two daughters aged nine and 12.

"In our community, there's not very much available for children our age."

Newman said there's no indoor pool in the district, so families rely on outdoor pools in Annapolis Valley for swimming lessons and supervised swims. The pool also runs advanced lifeguard training for local lifeguards so they don't have to drive to Halifax or Yarmouth for courses. 

During a recent legislature committee meeting, Annapolis MLA Carmen Kerr lobbied on the group's behalf to the senior official in the Department of Culture, Tourism and Heritage.

After the meeting, deputy minister Justin Huston told CBC News rink and pool projects "don't always fit neatly into a program that we have, but we want to work with those communities, particularly if they're very important community assets to figure out how we just get it done."

He said there had been "positive discussions" between the society and the department.

"It really comes down to what's the project, what's the need, and what can we make happen," said Huston.

Kerr said he was hopeful the province would come through for his community.

Newman said she and other society members looked forward to Thursday's community meeting to come up with ideas for events and to expand their fundraising team.