Non-profit society preparing for fundraising campaign to reopen Annapolis Royal, N.S., outdoor pool in 2025

ANNAPOLIS ROYAL, N.S. — The Friends of the Annapolis Pool Society knew the liner had to be replaced at the Annapolis Community Pool.

What society members didn’t know was what that would cost.

The bill, including some other smaller repairs, is expected to be about $500,000 and even if the society can secure about $200,000 through various grants it is exploring, it leaves $300,000 to be raised.

“For us to figure out $300,000 in a year and a half, it’s going to take more than the village,” said society chairperson Lesley Hodder.

The society recently announced the outdoor pool in Annapolis Royal would not open this year as it works to secure the funding needed to do the repairs and ensure the pool reopens in 2025.

“It was really disheartening,” society secretary Anna Kate Newman said, “especially because we had come from such a place of growth over the past few years.”

While it is a daunting amount of money to raise, the society is up to the challenge.

“I never questioned that we were going to do it, but I think we were like, can we do this?” Hodder said.

The society is in the process of applying for grants, meeting with various government officials and assembling a volunteer team to lead the project.

The pool is a community hub and asset for the region. There used to an indoor pool in Cornwallis Park, but it closed a few years ago, leaving the next closest facilities at 14 Wing Greenwood and Université Sainte-Anne. The closest outdoor pools are in Bridgetown and Digby.

History

When the Annapolis Community Pool reopened in 2007, the vinyl liner was installed, but current society members only found out its life expectancy was 10-15 years when the issue arose.

“We got our money’s worth,” Hodder said.

Last year, pool officials noticed it was losing more water than normal. Staff repaired tears and rips and sump pumps were used to collect some of the water as temporary fixes.

“There was a lot of pivoting,” Hodder said.

It opened two weeks late but managed to get the season in with hundreds of swim lessons offered.

“All through the year, we knew this liner would need to be replaced,” Newman said.

With only a few liner pools in the region, there’s not many companies that do the work. The society found a company in Ontario and had a representative visit town in late September and provide them with an estimate in November to do the work.

The cost is 20 per cent higher due to the travel, accommodation and meal costs the company will incur doing the work so far from home. It is expected to take two to four weeks to complete the project. Another Nova Scotia community recently replaced its liner and had to go through an Ontario company with its bill in the same ballpark.

Even if the society had the $300,000, the work couldn’t be done this year as the parts needed to be ordered in December. Newman recently saw the deadline come and go to apply for the grants to employ 11 youth for the summer as lifeguards.

“That one was really hard,” she said.

By the numbers

A look at some of the numbers from the 2023 season at the Annapolis Community Pool in Annapolis Royal. All the figures increased from 2022.

• 608 Hours of operation
• 9,708 Total visits
• 3,659 Open swims
• 12 Staff
• 246 Group swim lessons
• 102 Private swim lessons

Pride

The local society’s pride in what it has accomplished in recent years is evident.

Hodder and Newman have both been on the board for a handful of years. They speak about the improvements to accessibility and seating, replacing a pump a year ago, helping youth find summer employment and continuing to grow as lifeguards. The number of unique visitors to the pool has quadrupled in four years to more than 9,000 in 2023. The number of group swimming lessons increased from 60 kids a few years ago to 240 in 2023 and access to lane swimming and aquafit for adults and seniors is up.

The society was determined to open in 2020 after COVID-19 shut so many things down across the province. After submitting many different plans, it was permitted to open with various safeguard measures in place.

“We were the only outdoor pool except for one pool in Halifax that opened that year,” Hodder said.

The society’s tagline is recreation, wellness and community.

“We just love the idea of kids are getting off their screens, they’re taking breaks, they’re outdoors, they’re developing real relationships with each other and with the staff,” Newman said, noting that seeing youth in lifeguard positions provides great mentorship opportunities.

Hodder’s 12-year-old son, Daniel, said the pool is a place he goes to have fun with his friends. He doesn’t have to plan anything because he knows some will be there every day. Daniel said he didn’t miss many days in 2023.

Daniel said he was disappointed by the recent news and decided to do something about it.

“When the pool closed, I had the idea of doing a GoFundMe and I knew I could raise money because there’s so many people that love the pool,” he said.

Within a week, he had raised nearly half of his $1,000 goal. Daniel said it shows people understand how vital of a role the facility plays in the community.

Making a splash

Since going public with its plight, society members have been buoyed by the support it has received.

“People want to help,” Newman said.

The society has had an offer to house the five-person work crew in order to keep the costs down and the society is hoping there might be other in-kind support that reduces the end bill that will need to be fundraised.

A person has donated a painting to be raffled off, the Nicholson Foundation made a donation and there’s an online fundraising campaign at Canadahelps.org available by searching Friends of the Annapolis Pool Society.

The board is meeting this week to plan next steps. It hopes to have subcommittees formed with people to lead each one to handle specific components of the project. A community meeting is set for Feb. 8 from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Royal Canadian Legion in Annapolis Royal. It will provide an opportunity for people to find out more about the project, offer suggestions and get involved. Information can also be found on its Facebook and Instagram sites.

“We’re just really excited to get started,” Newman said.