A 108 Mile Ranch resident Neil Duncan has come up with what he claims is a viable plan for a swimming pool in the community, but he is hitting a wall in finding political support.
“In November 2012, I proposed that a swimming pool of 400 feet by 60 feet and depth 4.5 feet maximum be installed at the 108 Lake's main beach using a cofferdam, widely used to establish a dry area around [structures in water bodies].
Duncan explains his proposal specified how the cofferdam pool would be heated by the sun, and constructed based on information and a quotation from the Nilex Civil Engineering Group of Burnaby.
The cofferdam would provide a watertight barrier to contain the pool and isolate it from the muddy lake, and use natural solar heat to warm the water.
Having a community pool would bring back the “hundreds” of people from around the South Cariboo who previously frequented the lake for 40 years, he adds.
“The main beach is maintained as a lovely lakeside park; the two dozen new trees are thriving; and a beach volleyball court has been constructed. But, with no swimming due to the muddy shore line, the park has been deserted this past summer.”
Duncan says he had a three-hour discussion with Cariboo Regional District Area G Director Al Richmond on the logistics of the swimming pool.
“...if adopted, it could be funded and maintained by the current CRD proposal for the soccer fields, Martin Exeter Hall and other facilities shared across the South Cariboo,” adds Duncan.
However, Richmond says the lake can't be used for swimming or construction of a cofferdam pool due to the high congestion of weeds, so the CRD isn't considering including it in the proposed recreation plan expansion.
“We're not going to be doing a pool like that. It's not on this round of discussions for existing facilities that we're taking on.”
The 108 Greenbelt Commission, of which Richmond is a member, is still waiting for approval from the Ministry of Environment to clear the weeds in the lake, he notes.
“The weeds are so bad; until we can do that we're not going to be looking at putting in a cofferdam pool.”
“There's so much goose droppings on the beaches we can't use them, and we're certainly no going to put a pool there until we can deal with that. And, we haven't got permission yet to deal with the weeds around the main beach.”
As far as any move for the CRD to consider including a cofferdam pool under the recreation plan funding umbrella goes, Richmond says it could be brought up at a CRD public meeting for those discussions, like any other suggestion.
“If someone wants to bring it up and try and put it in the recreation plan, [that's their right], but I'm not bringing up that cofferdam pool at the 108.”
Richmond suggests Duncan run his cofferdam pool idea past the South Cariboo Aquatic Society (SCAS) to see if it meets the members' needs for an aquatic facility in the area. However, he doesn’t think the society would be satisfied with that option.
“They are going to say, 'That's not the swimming pool we want'.”
The lake level is down, leaving such a shallow, muddy lake due to the low snow levels seen over several past winters, he adds.
“I told [Duncan], 'we're working on the weeds right now' ... so the weeds in the lake prohibit anything, you can't swim in it.
“We haven't done anything about the pool because it is just not feasible to put it in.”
Meanwhile, Duncan notes his cofferdam pool would cost $75,000, which he compares to the current 100 Mile Waterpark Society’s proposal as upwards of $450,000 [if a lift station is required].
The average temperature in the area would leave his sun-heated pool in use many more days than a water park, he says.
Duncan adds he has researched average elevations and temperatures of the proposed Centennial Park water park location on the Internet that backs his comments up.
However, District of 100 Mile House Mayor Mitch Campsall says Duncan's pool idea has “no connection” with the water park proposal council endorsed (in theory).
The committee is raising its own money for the water park, he explains, and moving forward with that project would “absolutely not” be deterred by any pool proposal.