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Dundas Community Pool roof replacement is anticipated next spring, and the City of Hamilton will prepare a feasibility study to “consider options for renewing or replacing” the facility.
The review of the 42-year-old indoor pool is recommended within the next 10 years by the city’s new Recreation Master Plan.
Planning consultant Steve Langlois said the Dundas pool is a “well-loved” community facility.
“But it’s reached a condition where it needs a decision on how to best service that community,” Langlois said.
Other Dundas recommendations in the master plan, include a new multi-use court and a new “outdoor fitness station” over the longer term.
City spokesperson Norm Miller confirmed the city hasn’t set an exact construction schedule for the pool roof replacement project.
It was awarded to Eileen Roofing of Toronto in May, along with roof replacement at Bennetto Community Centre and the contractor has five years to finish both.
The more complicated Bennetto job is anticipated first, starting in September and lasting a few months. Then, Dundas pool roof replacement might commence after April 2023 to accommodate the Dundas Seahawks Special Olympics Swim Club and ensure it isn’t displaced while preparing for provincial spring qualifiers. The pool also hosts a variety of other programs.
“Until that schedule is finalized, we cannot determine if there (are) impacts for user groups,” Miller said. “Any impacts will be communicated to those user groups once they are known.”
Miller said staff will create a recreation master plan implementation strategy to prioritize, fund and schedule short-term recommendations — including the Dundas pool study.
“The priority continues to be on regular and required maintenance and operations of existing recreation facilities to continue to provide recreation opportunities to the community. So the (planned) roof repair will proceed,” Miller said.
Dundas Community Pool users, including the Seahawks, have been waiting for a construction schedule and how they will be accommodated during any closure, since funding was announced in April 2021.
Seahawks coach Janet Young previously raised the significance of the club staying at their home pool, or at least knowing in advance of any changes. The 30 athletes on the team are challenged by some measure of intellectual disability.
“Change is difficult for most, but for this population it is even more challenging,” she said, earlier this year.
Young said twice weekly Seahawks practices are important social experiences for club members who range in age from eight to 56.
She said they all benefit from knowing the local facility’s staff.
Young hopes city staff will talk to users about the facility’s needs as they move forward with the feasibility study.
She said the facility’s small change rooms, lobby, pool deck and lack of viewing area means the club can not host its own swim meets.
The pool has six lanes and would ideally have eight. There are no permanent dive blocks. Construction crews could also remove an old slide.
“This was built when Dundas was a very small town,” Young said. “Now it doesn’t meet the needs of the community.”
The 2022 Recreation Master Plan combines the 2008 indoor recreation facility study and 2011 outdoor recreation facility study — but doesn’t include updated facility condition data.
According to the 2008 indoor facility study, Dundas Community Pool was in “fair” condition at that time. At 10,364 square feet, it was the smallest municipal pool of 18 in Hamilton. The average local indoor pool was 17,000 square feet.
The pool’s replacement cost ranged from $3,109,200 for existing structure replacement to $5,400,000 for replacement with a modern structure, according to the joint study. The pool had a capital renewal backlog of $193,066.
It’s not clear how much those replacement and renewal costs have grown in the past 14 years.
STORY BEHIND THE STORY: We wanted to learn more about the impact of Dundas Community Pool users of upcoming roof replacement and longer-term review of renewal or replacement feasibility.