Editor: The following is an excerpt of an open letter to Township Council:
The decisions of council on design and location of the proposed Aldergrove recreation centre have made many people in Aldergrove and the rest of Langley lack confidence in council.
The pool must be made larger. I realize that the consulting group stated that a six-lane, 25-metre pool would be adequate for Aldergrove but really the consulting group just said what council wanted to hear.
I was recently at the Walnut Grove pool. Their large pool is more than twice the size of Aldergrove’s proposed pool.
They also have another large pool that is meant for younger children to play in, which we would not have in the winter time.
Eliminate the wave pool. It would only be open in the summer time. We need a larger, year-round pool in Aldergrove far more.
The pool should be at least 35 metres long and eight lanes, with a deep area to accommodate a regular sized diving board and rope swing area. Eliminating the wave pool would free up monies for a larger pool and a roof.
The other problem which needs to be remedied is to partner up with the Parks Regional District to replace the Aldergrove Lake with an updated version with a proper cement bottom and filter system.
The old Aldergrove Lake was very well used and needed upgrades. Due to that, it was shut down. I cannot imagine the lunacy that went into that decision — “The lake is so well used that the old filtration system can’t handle it, so let’s shut it down and then spend millions of dollars to build an outdoor pool that is smaller and won’t meet the needs of the community.”
Aldergrove Lake was free to the public, so even those with low income could attend every day in the heat of the summer with their families.
I am wondering how often lower income families could afford to spend the $10 a day or more to attend the new complex in the summer time.
The new pool won’t have the huge shade trees that made Aldergrove Lake so pleasant because it is in the middle of a commercial district.
Most of the year the outdoor, year-round pool will feel cold without some way to warm the air.
To attend swimming lessons families will still be forced to attend the other pools, and lessons are filled quickly. I recently went to the Walnut Grove Pool at 3 p.m. Parking was hard to find and the pool was very overcrowded. When leaving, I went onto the freeway and it took 45 minutes to return to Aldergrove.
Our mayor says we already have a large pool in Langley so we don’t need one in Aldergrove. Try telling that to parents who would like to put their children into swimming lessons and would need to spend hours after school taking their children to a lesson, waiting for the lesson to be over and then driving home to cook supper for the family.
Enlarge the pool and make the air warm around the pool. It won’t cost more.
The money is already in the budget if you eliminate the wave pool.
Dianne Kask,
Aldergrove