At 18, Wayne Kelly began his studies at the University of Victoria, having received a swimming scholarship. After spending countless hours training in UVic’s McKinnon Pool, Kelly eventually earned a spot representing Canada in the 1984 Olympics.
Decades later, now a father of four, Kelly still uses the pool three times a week but now fears for the future of this facility he deeply cherishes.
On July 2, the university announced the closure of its campus pool after 50 years of operation. The university cited the aging infrastructure and $1.5 million in estimated maintenance costs as reasons for its closure.
Known as the home of the Vikes varsity swimmers and Pacific Coast Swimming (PCS), the facility also serves as a hub for various other groups including a kayaking club, underwater hockey teams, and synchronized swimmers. It even welcomes engineering students to test their submersibles.
Kelly, along with many community members who benefit from the pool, expressed dismay at the unexpected news.
“I was really shocked,” said Kelly. “We were all completely stunned."
Possibly leaving hundreds of athletes without a place to practise their sports, Kelly mentioned that the closure of the McKinnon complex would exert additional pressure on the region’s pools which are already at full capacity.
This prompted Kelly to create a Facebook group and launch a petition – now counting over 3,700 signatures – to prevent the pool’s closure.
Backed by an outpouring of public support, Kelly secured a meeting with UVic's president Kevin Hall earlier this week to discuss the situation.
From this conversation, Kelly comes out hopeful as Hall “agreed that the closure was rushed,” and announced that the university "complete a proper engineering report on the maintenance needed” which will be conducted following the pool’s drainage on Sept. 15.
In turn, the report will determine whether the pool can be "patched up" to extend its life for at least three more years while options for a new facility are explored, Kelly said.
Black Press Media contacted the University of Victoria for comments, but no one was available. A senior public affairs officer mentioned that UVic plans to host media opportunities at McKinnon Pool in the coming weeks to provide updates.
Kelly also mentioned speaking with MLAs Murray Rankin and Lana Popham, as well as various mayors to discuss a replacement plan.
As B.C.'s minister of sport, Popham told Black Press Media that she and her staff are evaluating the current options in their reach to prevent what she described as a potential "great loss to the community."
“We don't have enough sporting infrastructure right now,” said Popham. “Across B.C., communities are constantly telling me they need more access to sports infrastructure.
“I'm really appreciative of the community bringing (this issue) forward and raising the profile, because that's what we're going to need (for) the federal government to come in and assist with the economics of the situation.”
Remaining uncertainties
Despite initiating the discussions on this issue, Kelly noted that the future location of a new pool remains uncertain and might be built off-campus.
He also mentioned that UVic officials planned to include a pool as part of the Centre for Athletics, Recreation, and Special Abilities (CARSA), which opened in 2015.
The plans included the installation of a 50-metre pool in the area currently used as a gravel parking lot nestled in the middle of the complex, according to Kelly.
However, a few years later, the plan for an aquatic facility was ultimately abandoned during the second phase, he added.
Proactive in addressing the lack of facilities, Kelly reached out to Myrtha Pools – an Italian company responsible for building the 2024 Paris Olympics pools.
Their stainless steel modular structures, which cost significantly less than concrete pools, are estimated at $5.5 million for a 50-metre pool, excluding a roof or deck, said Kelly.
Amid everything that has happened since July 2, Kelly remains optimistic, calling the campaign 'a win' for its efforts to prevent the pool's closure.
“The biggest thing is that there's been a huge outpouring of support from the community to keep the McKinnon Pool open,” said Kelly. “People are writing letters to university executives, to the board of governors, to Kevin Hall personally, to media outlets, and it's brought this to the forefront.”
