City of Enderby – Enderby Receives $5m Grant to Build a New Pool

A new pool is coming to Enderby just in time, thanks to a $5 million dollar Federal-Provincial grant!

Enderby’s old pool, which was built in 1954, has been falling apart at the seams for nearly a decade. It has been deteriorating so badly that the sad possibility of closing it for good was fast becoming a reality.

“Our old pool had a tremendous service life,” said City of Enderby Mayor Greg McCune, “but limitations in its size and design prevented it from keeping pace with the diverse needs of our community. There was not enough room for lap swimmers to enjoy their activities at the same time as other leisure activities were occurring. We were missing opportunities for our pool to serve as a recreational amenity, a therapy opportunity, and an inclusive way to build community. We had a lot of objectives to hit, and I think that we did exactly that with the new pool.”

In 2020, a full-fledged effort was made to make a new pool a reality. A vision was developed and an architect was retained. Elected officials, staff, and stakeholders put their respective noses to the grindstone and collaborated on a design that would send Enderby’s pool game to the next level.

And what a next level that will be!

The new pool offers many new or improved amenities to the community, such as:

Shallower areas to make it easier for parents and tots to exercise and participate in programs together
A zero (beach) entry so that persons living with mobility challenges can gain access to the pool more easily
A lazy river that mimics the Shuswap River to teach current and water safety while providing relaxation and therapeutic uses
An upgraded slide that will be more entertaining for kids
5 lanes that are 25 metres long (rather than 25 yards), which makes it more consistent with contemporary standards and competitive swimming needs
Changing areas that provide more privacy so that they are more inclusive
An expanded leisure water area to not only encourage play, but also to make it easier to run multiple programs or events simultaneously, and
A hot tub.

The pool was supported by the City of Enderby, Area F (rural Enderby) of the Regional District of North Okanagan, and Splatsin.

“We knew that our old pool could not last much longer,” states Area F Director Denis Delisle. “But we also knew that our old pool is not meeting today’s needs. Our community has grown and it has become more diverse. Inclusion has become a cornerstone of our social fabric. These were all things that we wanted to see addressed in the new pool design. Things like inclusive change rooms and a “beach” entry that is accessible for persons living with mobility challenges will benefit the public for generations to come.”

Splatsin has supported the project, with Kukpi7 Thomas stating, “The existing pool has served our community members for decades. I am excited to see a new facility that will continue to offer swimming lessons to youth to provide them with the skills and awareness to keep them safe around water. The age-friendly design will give our elders an easier way to access the pool independently, for therapy and social interactions with their families.”

“We are extremely grateful to the federal and provincial governments for their joint support of our initiative to build a new pool,” stated Mayor McCune. “We could not have accomplished this without their support. With the hard work and vision of so many people who have gotten us this far, I am thrilled that we now have the means to transform this vision into a reality, and continue to demonstrate why Enderby is such a special place to live, work, and play.”