Proposed aquatic centre could meet 'desperate need' for world-class venue

UPDATE: Ottawa city council approved the recommendations for the city to enter into negotiations with Carleton University on anew aquatic centre at its meeting on July 10.

Ottawa ispreparing to diveinto an agreement with Carleton University that could createa new world-classaquatic centre, potentially puttingthe city back on the map fornational competitions.

Water sports groupshave been calling for a new Olympic-scale aquatic centre for at leasta decade, saying it would be an opportunity for elite athletes to both train and compete closer to home.

According to aproposal heading to thefinance and corporate services committee next month, staff are recommending the city enter into non-binding negotiations with Carleton on a partnership to "fund, develop, manage and operate" acentre with both a 25-metre and 50-metre pool.

"The need is great," said Kathleen Murphy, who founded the Ottawa National Diving Club and coached there for years. "This city is in desperate need of deep water in the 50-metrepool."

But any new facility, she said, will have toaccommodatethe needs of divers, swimmers, and othersportslike synchronized swimming and water polo.

Home pool advantage

There are three 50-metre pools across the city, at the University of Ottawa, Carleton University and the Nepean Sportsplex.

But all of them are aging, the report notes, anddon't meet enough of the requirements for some national competitions. Carleton's poollacks enough swim lanes, while the University of Ottawa facility doesn't have enough spectator space.

For divers at the Nepean Sportsplex,temperature is aproblem, Murphy said.

"Divers are absolutely freezing to death by the time they're finished," she said. "They get out of the water completely cold instead of their muscle capacity being warm."

Despite multiple repairs, the 50-year-old sportsplex and its aging infrastructure is no longer viable for anything butregional competitions somethingAlex Perreault, a swimmer who's competed on multiple national teams,feels needs to change.

"There's that advantage of playing at home," he said. "Knowing how you feel in the pool, being in the comfort of your own house ... changesthe game, the level of readiness and the prep."

That's a sentiment echoed byOttawa Sport Council chair Mathieu Fleury, whochampioned a similar facility when he was a city councillor.

Ottawa's population has more than doubled since the sportsplex was built, Fleury said, and the existing facilities can't meet the demand of both the community and high-performance athletes.

Many athletes have to travel to Gatineau, Toronto or Montreal to train.

"As a capital city, not being able to hostCanada Summer Games or Canada Winter Gamesposes questions," Fleurysaid."Thefact that we're a capital city here in Ottawa, we deserve ...a national, international-level pool."

But he also saidany new facility will also need a strong community-basedlearn-to-swim program.

$54.6M price tag

While the anticipated cost for the new facility has ballooned over the last fiveyears, to$54.6 million from$39 million in 2019, Capital ward Coun. Shawn Menard says the joint venture will ultimately save residents money.

"[There's] a huge need for the city to have a proper aquatic facility that can attract events but also allow for resident use. And so it's exciting to think about the possibilities here," he said.

The expectation is the pool will bebuilt sooner than later, he said, toutingthe fact its locationalong the Trillium Linewill make it easier to access.

In a statement to CBClast week, Carleton University said it's pleased about entering into discussions with the city.

"With our existing swimming pool nearing end-of-life, this an exciting opportunity to consider a much-needed aquatic facility that will meet the needs of both our campus community and the City of Ottawa," it said.

The facility would address "the increased demand for aquatic sports and public swimming access" while providing "a modern standard for aquatic recreation and competitive events" wrote Dan Chenier, the city's general manager ofrecreation, cultural and facility services, in an email.

For Murphy, her wishlistwould include facilities forhigh diving a sport divers campaigned to be included in the upcoming Paris Olympics but which shebelieves will make its Olympic debut in Los Angeles in 2028.

"They're really going to miss the boat if they don't include indoor high diving," she said. "Itwould be the first facility in the world to include high diving indoors."