At a council meeting in November of 2020, Coun. Mike Mann asked, about the city's plan to decommission the Kinsmen Soper Park Pool.
“So, could council come back and say ‘Let’s plan for a future pool, or a splash pad, or another sports complex at that location, or anything for that matter?,’” he asked, to which Lesley Head, the city staff member who prepared the report, said “Yes, that’s correct.”
Moments later, Cambridge city council decided to de-commission the old pool, which started a consultation process to determine what to put at that location.
Later on in that consultation process, city staff wrote that “the decision for the space to no longer include a pool has already been approved by council.”
Basically they were saying, it’s a done deal, so don’t ask for a pool. Despite that, the most popular suggestion was for a new pool.
Now we have a new council and councillors Mann and Pam Wolf, who had voted to close the pool, are no longer on council. And Mayor Kathryn McGarry, who voted to close the pool, has been replaced by Jan Liggett, who voted to keep it open.
We also have a new public consultation planned for Nov. 10 at Galt Arena Gardens from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m., and a new Engage Cambridge page has been created at engagewr.ca/soperpark.
If enough of us ask for a pool, and for council to revisit their decision, it will happen. It’s really up to you.
Robert Gutcher
Cambridge
