Dear Editor
I am very much looking forward to having a new mayor and council in office, because I am hoping that they will be able to focus on fixing a very tangible problem many residents of Port Hardy and the North Island are facing. I have lived here for 12 years, and never in all that time have I ever experienced as much down time, and equipment malfunction at our local pool as in the last 10 months. In past years, we have had serious leaks in the pool chased, found, and repaired during the summer when the facility closes for maintenance. And when the hot tub was broken, there was usually a time frame for repairs.
But what has happened this year? We heard that a new hot tub had been planned for and budgeted for years ago, but yet, nothing happened. Although an important component of the recreation centre has rarely been operational at all since the pool reopened after the maintenance shut down this summer, no reduced rates or freebees were offered to compensate. Usually there was not even a note on the door to warn people that the hot tub was still not running.
Many pool users have connected the dots and determined that since a certain employee is no longer working there, problems do not get fixed. The hot tub is a necessity, not a luxury, for many seniors and not-so-seniors who do their physiotherapy or get their exercise at the pool. Mr. Bood has promised transparency in city hall and I am hoping that he will look into all the facts that went into recent decisions regarding budget allocations and staffing.
If the health, well-being and safety of our citizens was truly being taken into consideration, I think we would all be getting full use out of our pool, hot tub, and sauna. Our recreation centre is an asset to our community. Unlike high speed internet or the health care system, city hall has complete control over improving this situation.
Brenda Loerke
Port Hardy