The beloved pool will close in September, students and community members wonder what’s next
Photo via University of Victoria.
On July 2, UVic announced that it will close the McKinnon Pool by September 15 at the latest. In the news release, UVic stated that it was closing the pool due to maintenance costs, estimated at 1.5 million.
“While the pool is primarily used by varsity, PCS and some student and alumni clubs, it has low recreational use by students, faculty and staff,” said Nicole Greengoe, Executive Director of Wellness, Recreation and Athletics, of the pool’s closure in UVic’s press release.
“The university has to balance the significant cost of upgrading and maintaining the facility alongside investments in infrastructure and programming that benefit the entire campus community,” her statement continues.
The loss of the swimming pool does not only affect the varsity swimming teams — which last year had 39 members — but other members of the UVic community, like undergraduate student and member of the UVic triathlon club Kaitlyn (name changed).
Kaitlyn, who swims instead of performing high-impact workouts following a knee injury, said that her doctor recommended at least an hour of cardio a week for her mental health.
“Swimming is the only real option I have,” she says. “McKinnon pool was so helpful.”
When asked about students, clubs, and varsity teams being relocated off-campus, a UVic spokesperson wrote, in an email to the Martlet, “UVic’s varsity swim program already trains at Saanich Commonwealth Pool and has acquired additional pool time there. We are using the lead up to the closure to explore opportunities with other pools in the region to accommodate our student clubs”
However, Carly (name changed), a graduate student who coached swimming at McKinnon Pool, told the Martlet that using other pools isn’t a simple solution.
“You can’t get lane space for everyone. For more recreational programs, clubs can’t find the lane space to support them, which is really unfortunate.”
Kaitlyn expanded on this concern. “[Gordon Head Recreational Centre] is not the same [as McKinnon Pool] in the slightest. [It’s either] full of older people who are swimming breast stroke in the fast lanes and kicking you while you’re trying to swim, or it’s full of overbearing children who don’t understand that it’s a swim lane and you accidentally hit them while you’re trying to swim front crawl.”
“It does not provide the sort of training environment that McKinnon does, [which] is beneficial for non-varsity clubs or organizations like the triathlon club,” she said. “The Saanich Commonwealth Pool … is also nowhere near campus. It is not convenient.”
Alongside the events surrounding the McKinnon Pool, the City Council is holding a referendum this fall regarding the expansion of Crystal Pool, during which community members can weigh in on the loan required for the renovations, as well as the extended site location. But if renovations begin, another local pool may shut down while construction is underway.
In the wake of this announcement, Wayne Kelly, UVic Alumni and former Olympian, created a Facebook page called Save McKinnon Pool, and a change.org petition with the same name. The petition has over two thousand signatures.
“I woke up and read the news a couple weeks ago, and I went swimming the next day,” said Kelly. “And I thought, ‘You know what, I’m not going to complain about it. I have to get up here and do something.’”
“It’s such an important thing. That pool was a place that allowed [students] to escape, get some fitness, clear their minds and feel better coming back into their jobs or studies,” says Kelly. “You start to realize that a lot of us are like that. We have a spot where we like to go, and for a lot of people it’s the pool.” Kelly believes that the decision can be reversed and students can influence the future of the pool by getting involved and making their voices heard.
The UVSS said in a statement to the Martlet that they have “been in conversation with the University of Victoria administration since the beginning of the year regarding the closure of McKinnon gym and pool. Despite an affordability crisis, UVic continues to raise their Athletics and Recreation Services fee while reducing services. It is disappointing that UVic prioritizes maximum fee increases over student needs.”
According to a UVic spokesperson, the future use of the McKinnon Pool’s space has yet to be determined. The construction of another pool on campus is not currently under consideration.
