With the 2024 summer Olympics just wrapping up, all eyes are on the pools of Paris as Canadian athletes achieve their dreams.
Closer to home, Carleton University and the City of Ottawa are buzzing about a potential new aquatics facility.
The city and Carleton hope to partner to build a 10-lane, 50-metre pool suitable for competitive events and a smaller 25-metre pool for the community.
Currently, there are three 50-metre Olympic-sized pools in Ottawa: at the Nepean Sportsplex, Carleton and the University of Ottawa. However, none are up to standard to hold competitive events due to lack of space and adequate facilities.
“[T]he Nepean Sportsplex is no longer an attractive or qualifying option for aquatic sport training and competitions,” reads a report to the Finance and Corporate Service Committee about the new aquatics centre.
“Consequently, Ottawa is often not considered, nor deemed a competitive option, to host competitive swimming, diving, water polo or synchronized swimming events, and is missing out on the associated local opportunities and economic benefit.”
Moreover, the city is drowning in the need for pool space. Lack of space to host programming means that capacity for swimming programs, such as lessons for young children, cannot to keep up with the constantly growing demand, according to the finance report.
City staff and local swimmers agree that a new facility is undoubtedly a need for the city. Dan Chenier, general manager of Ottawa’s Recreation, Cultural and Facilities Services department, identified Carleton as the perfect place to build it.
“The city understands that the existing university facility is nearing end of use and that the new facility would replace the existing one,” said Chenier in an email to the Charlatan.
“The city would intend to program a variety of community and sports uses for both pools as part of the partnership.”
The new facility would be advantageous for Carleton’s aquatic sport communities. Anne-Marie Fortier, a captain of the university’s swim team, said she hopes the new facility will strengthen their team and increase membership.
“It’ll allow us to start building our program at Carleton,” Fortier said. “If you have a new facility that’s ready to receive a greater number of swimmers and people who want to try it out, then you’ll have a larger pool of talent to choose from and to develop.”
This new facility would also grant Carleton the ability to host large swim meets such as the Ontario University Athletics championships (OUA’s).
“[The OUA’s] is our final meet for most people. That has 10 teams. By having this brand new pool, it’ll allow us to put in a request to host, which then is also a big point of pride,” Fortier said. “For Carleton, it’s a big win.”
Being on campus and within walking distance from the upcoming O-Train Line 2 (Trillium Line), the centralized location is easily accessible from almost anywhere in Ottawa.
Plans are currently non-binding, and ideas are yet to be finalized. However, if an agreement isn’t reached between the city and Carleton, construction on the new facility may never begin.
“No prospective opening date has been established since the City and Carleton University do not yet have a finalized agreement to move forward with the partnership project,” Chenier wrote. “Should the partnership move forward, timelines for construction and opening would be part of a finalized agreement.”
If an agreement is reached, Fortier said she is looking forward to seeing the city become a hub for aquatic sporting events.
“If Ottawa can start hosting more [high-ranking competitions], it’s going to fuel the swimming program within Ottawa,” Fortier said. “More talent is going to come.
“I’m actually super excited to see what this new pool does for the swimming stage in Ottawa, Ontario, and then Canada as a whole.”
Featured image by Natasha Baldin.
