Vancouver’s most established competitive swim club has been taken by surprise with the announcement of the closure of another essential pool it depends on for nearly a year. The Canadian Dolphins Swim Club faced the loss of its original venue when the Vancouver Aquatic Centre shut down in June to pave the way for demolition. Now, the facility where the club’s members were relocated, Britannia Pool in East Vancouver, is scheduled for closure for renovations by the City of Vancouver’s Real Estate and Facilities Management (REFM) division starting this November.
Jeannie Lo, the president of Canadian Dolphins, expressed the challenges the club is facing in finding alternative arrangements for its 240 members amidst the shrinking pool options in Vancouver. She described the situation as a “disaster” as they have to redo coaching assignments and training group allocations from scratch.
Adding to the dilemma, Lo mentioned that the club only received notice of the Britannia closure a mere 18 days before the new swim season commences. She questioned the timing of the communication, emphasizing the abruptness of the situation.
The Canadian Dolphins Swim Club, which has been in existence for 70 years, had already lost 40% of its designated pool time with the closure of the Aquatic Centre. In an email to Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim, city council members, and Park Board commissioners, the club urged the officials to intervene and prevent the Britannia closure, criticizing the lack of aquatic facilities in Vancouver.
CBC News attempted to reach Mayor Sim and Park Board Chair Tom Digby for comments, but they were not available for interviews by the deadline. If Britannia Pool shuts down, the Canadian Dolphins Swim Club may have to make difficult decisions, including potential cuts to swimmers and coaches, which Lo described as “extremely devastating” and a measure of last resort.