Sherbrook pool supporter calling on City of Winnipeg to reverse cuts
CBC News | Posted: March 17, 2015 7:57 PM | Last Updated: March 17, 2015
She says the cuts are "backward thinking" on behalf of the city
A member of the Friends of Sherbrook Pool is disappointed that the City of Winnipeg is not reversing proposed cuts to indoor pool programming.
Marianne Cerilli asked city councillors to restore $100,000 worth of funding that was cut from the 2015 budget, but on Tuesday, Councillor Marty Morantz said he expects Winnipeg's Executive Policy Committee to decline that request.
Cerilli says that's backward thinking, and on a basic level, those cuts will reduce the number of hours the pool can even be open.
According to her, there's an easy way to sign up new swimmers: By having new programming — something that will not be possible with the cuts.
Using people with disabilities as an example, Cerilli said specialized programming for different groups is what makes pools busy.
"So it's not just about opening lap swim or free swim, but to do partnerships with seniors organizations so that seniors come as a group and there's a program for them to participate and they use the city pool," she said.
According to Cerilli, the pool is important for the neighbourhood in general.
"And what ends up happening is the facilities that are in neighbourhoods where they need them the most end up being the ones that get cut," she said.
"And that's really a backward approach to take for the city."
Cerilli is scheduled to meet with the city on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the possibility of new partnerships.