Among our top stories of 2021, most people in Ottawa seem to want to keep Riordan Pool open. City Commissioner Marla Pearson says it’ll take $1.7 million to make repairs over the next five years or $4 million to build a new pool. At a meeting called to get the public’s input last month, Deb Purcell recalled good times at the pool going back to 1965.
One city resident emailed the council to say he thinks the costs aren’t worth it. City Clerk Shelly Munks read the message from Eric Yuhas suggesting a splash pad and a pavilion replace the pool.
Some thought was given to whether the city needs to run its own pool after the YMCA opens its new building in 2023. It will have a pool inside. City Commissioner Pearson says it won’t be the same. She feels people will want an outdoor pool on hot summer days.
Some of the repairs the pool needs must be done in the spring for it to open in 2022. So, the City Council must decide on those in the next few months.