A group of residents rallying to save one of the city鈥檚 small community pools is holding an event to buoy the cause this weekend.
The Save Lord Byng Pool Forum and Concert is set for Dec. 3 at Lord Byng secondary school (enter from Crown Street) from 6:30 p.m. until 9 p.m.
The event will include music, as well as a series of short speeches about the pool, its role in the community and the upcoming park board meeting where commissioners will vote on the long-term plan for the city鈥檚 pools and other aquatics amenities.
The current version of the plan includes demolishing Lord Byng pool and building a destination facility at Connaught Park as well as replacing the Templeton and Britannia pools with one pool on the Britannia site, among other proposed changes.
Residents in both neighbourhoods have rallied in the hopes of keeping the small community pools open.
Separate petitions have gathered thousands of signatures.
Vancouver鈥檚 park board is currently in the process of planning the future of the city鈥檚 pools and aquatic amenities. The board wrapped up its second round of public consultation in early October, and commissioners will consider final recommendations in December.
Last summer more than 4,500 residents and 60 groups took part in the first phase of public consultation.
Feedback from the second phase of consultation, which concluded Oct. 8, will be used in crafting a long-term plan for the city鈥檚 aquatic facilities.
The finalized recommendations will be presented to park board commissioners at the Dec. 11 meeting.
According to information provided by the park board last month, the pool at Templeton, as well as pools at 麻豆传媒映画Aquatic Centre, Kerrisdale, Britannia and Lord Byng, are nearing the end of their lifespan, are the least used, least efficient and require the most investment to operate. These pools make up 34 per cent of all visits to indoor pools. Conversely, the city鈥檚 newest and renovated pools 鈥� Renfrew, Killarney and Hillcrest 鈥� are the best utilized and the most 鈥渇inancially efficient.鈥�
