Seeing Greater Napanee council dip its toes into the water ever so slightly Tuesday evening by allowing a task force studying the viability of an indoor pool to explore financing options is a heartwarming and encouraging sign.
It’s not hard to see all of the potential benefits related to the multi-million dollar multi-use aquatics and fitness facility the committee favours at the Strathcona Paper Centre.
It would be successful in increasing access to recreational programming to a wider cross section of the public that aren’t necessarily being served well by existing facilities. Looking at the region’s aging population demographics, the pool should provide opportunities for more seniors to have access. Also, if rates to swim are affordable, more children who either aren’t interested in or cannot afford organized sport will be helped.
There are proven links between physical fitness and positive determinants of health, so theoretically, an investment would be taking pressure off already stressed health-care resources like hospitals and mental health agencies.
Also, the pool should be a win for both economic development and the retention and attraction of young families. The town has seen a regular influx of visitors attending hockey and figure skating events at the SPC or playing ball at the Napanee Fairgrounds complex. With one more reason to keep those families in town instead of in Kingston or Belleville, there could be spin-offs for local restaurants, accommodations providers and stores. Likewise, it may keep area families from outings beyond municipal borders. In the bigger picture, it’s also one more asset that economic developers with the town and Lennox and Addington County have to attract investment here. The skilled labour force everyone wants to attract looks for amenities and smart business owners might just believe the mix of a small-town upbringing and big city amenities is an attractive place to build and grow their operations.
While all those benefits exist, the drawback is they can be a bit difficult to quantify. On the other hand, building costs are a tangible expense, as are ongoing maintenance and staffing. Borrowing, too, has a price and while the SPC has been a boon for the community, the town is still paying more than a half-million annually on that loan until 2024. Also, Greater Napanee is no different from any municipality in that it faces significant pressure to maintain roads infrastructure as well as services. Its wastewater plant will soon need attention too.
All that boils down is the task force will have to be very creative and cast a broad net when putting a financial plan together. It should look to partner with the health-care sector to see if grants for cardiac rehab and preventative medicine are offered. Finding funding from other neighbouring municipalities would also be worthwhile. The group should look to the YMCA and any leave no rock unturned to find private investors that may be able to subsidize the build or contribute sustainable funding year-after-year to operations. Maybe there are creative mixed-use options that could blend retail development with the pool to offset the cost of the build. A marketing and membership strategy that offers affordability and continuing revenues will also be a key factor.
In all likelihood, the cost of building a pool is only going to rise. Greater Napanee can’t afford a long wait to build, but it also cannot afford to build the wrong way, creating an asset it is unable to sustain. This committee and the incoming council have a big task at hand. Let’s hope they deliver a sensible, efficient plan to meet the community’s needs and make a splash.