Kingston City Council Goes Ahead!

City council has forged ahead to investigate the feasability of an aquatic complex that would have a 50m pool in it.

This is cause for celebration in Kingston, where swimming should be second nature to every citizen, considering that the city is virtually surounded by water! The Cataraqui River, Lake Ontario, the St Lawrence River!

It's important to keep an open mind about what this facility might be like. It is NOT just a 50m swimming pool. Yes, we will be well-served in many ways, by having a 50m pool in eastern Ontario. We can host competitions in aquatic sports at the provincial, national and international levels. What an opportunity!

Let's include options that virtually every pool built in the last 10 years has: play features, warmer "family" type pool, zero entry pool, hot tubs, perhaps slides, a shallow toddlers' learn-to pool...there are so many possibilities! It is exciting!

Check out
http://aquatics.nb.ca/xx

where you can see many possibilities for an aquatic complex, albeit one that was built for the 1985 Jeux du Canada Games. Read all the info on the site, and play the little short video that talks about the wide variety of activities that happen in this 20+ year old complex.

Not only is it exciting that the city council enthusiastically supported this initiative, perhaps, just perhaps, it is a sign of things to come. Perhaps it is a sign that this council will be open to new ideas, and say, "Yes, let's investigate this idea!"

Previous councils have been so NEGATIVE, portraying their "No, not us, not in Kingston" mentality.

I, and thousands of residents hope that a new attitude will prevail. An attitude that "we can do this" rather than, "no, it's too hard." That negative attitude does not convey support for the community, an eagerness to get the city on the map, a positive, upbeat style of leadership.

There are up-beat councillors now on council. Let's support them in their efforts to change the mentality on council and in the city administration.

It's time to talk about Kingston, time to offer to lead, time to be proactive. Moving forward on an aquatic complex is a small but extremely signficant step. Kingstonians applaud!