Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Trustees voted tonight to reopen nine remaining probationary pools in response to the findings and recommendations from the December 2009, Aquatic Working Group (AWG) Report A Solution for TDSB Pools to the Toronto Lands Corporation (TLC).
Led by former Toronto mayor David Crombie, the AWG Report demonstrated that as of December 31, 2009, the following nine pools have been able to secure sufficient permit revenue to fully cover their incremental operating costs over the period from January to June 2010 allowing the Administration, Finance and Accountability Committee to bring the pools back into operation.
Carleton Village Sr PS
Central Technical School
Earl Grey Sr PS
George Harvey CI
Kensington Community School Jr
Monarch Park CI
SATEC @ WA Porter CI
Western Technical Commercial School
Winona /McMurrich Jr PS
Originally, a total of 13 pools were closed and placed on probation by the Board in June 2009 to allow more time for continued fundraising and generation of additional pool permit revenues to cover incremental operating costs. If the pools did not achieve sufficient permit revenue by December 31, 2009, they were to be drained. Four of those 13 pools achieved sufficient permit revenue generation and were taken off the probationary list in September 2009 by the Board leaving the remaining nine pools.
Over the past two years the Toronto District School Board has been working to secure sustainable funding to keep as many pools as possible open, said Board Chair Bruce Davis. We are more than pleased with the commitment and dedication of Mr. Crombie and the Aquatics Working Group.
To date, 33 pools will now be kept open and operational and seven pools have been closed permanently as recommended by the AWG in March 2009.
A complete list of pools and their operational status as well as additional information about permitting pools and background information can be found on the TDSB public website at http://www.tdsb.on.ca/_site/ViewItem.asp?siteid=179&menuid=15633&pageid=13844.