The New Westminster Progressives have committed to pursuing a competitive 10-lane swimming pool to replace the ageing, but iconic, Canada Games Pool, which has served the community for the past 45 years. The new pool would be capable of hosting Provincial and National-level meets, while providing the residents with a usable public recreational component.
The current city council has developed a plan to pursue a smaller non-competitive pool or a competitive pool based on funding.
NW Progressives city council candidate Paul McNamara has a long-term vision that would see the state-of-the-art pool built and would make New Westminster the go-to city for competitive swimming, which would bring a much-needed economic boost to local businesses.
\”The City of New Westminster must actively pursue available provincial and federal funding opportunities such as the recent $134-million program for community and recreation projects announced at the Union of BC Municipalities,\” says McNamara. “These larger Provincial and National-level meets have an economic input of between $1-million and $7-million, depending on the size of the event.
\”I have met so many long term New West residents who remember the opening of the 1973 Canada Games Pool and the impact it had on the city. It put New West on the map as the place to be.”
Currently, the 4,000 plus competitive swimmers in the Lower Mainland area have to travel to Vancouver Island or Kamloops to compete in Provincial or National events.
\”New Westminster can turn this opportunity into a sports-tourism advantage that will benefit everyone,\” says McNamara. \”This would be the start of a sporting infrastructure revitalization this city hasn’t seen since 1974.\”
Click here to view the NW Progressives platform on sports, recreation and community activities.
Click here to view the entire city council platform.