With news that the Town of Lake Cowichan is in favour of buying into the Cowichan Aquatic Centre in Duncan, that has been met with mixed reviews at the town’s council table.
A recent vote declared almost 80% of the town wish to buy into the pool, which will see residents pay the same price as those in Duncan and North Cowichan to use it.
Residents in CVRD Area F (Cowichan Lake South/Skutz Falls) and I (Youbou/Meade Creek) still have to pay over the double the price if they want to use the pool.
The Town of Lake Cowichan will now pay $3,000 annually so residents using the pool pay the same as Duncan and North Cowichan.
But Coun. Frank Hornbrook is still unhappy and was never an advocate of buying into the deal when discussions were circulating at council months ago.
“51 per cent of residents in North Cowichan and Duncan voted to build that pool and now they want our money to fund it,” said Hornbrook at last Tuesday’s Parks, Recreation and Culture Committee meeting. “I don’t ever see a swim team from Lake Cowichan going there. It’s $3,000 we can use here. If we keep spending our tax dollars over Hill 60 then there’s no point in budgeting for the Town of Lake Cowichan.”
Hornbrook concluded by saying that the Town of Ladysmith doesn’t pay into the Cowichan Aquatic Centre but Coun. Bob Day said that Ladysmith “pays into their own” pool at the Frank Jameson Community Centre.
“The decision has been made and we beat it up,” said Day. “I’m glad it went to the public.”
Mayor Ross Forrest believes the 79.9% majority is emphatically enough to buy into the pool.
CVRD Area E (Glenora/Sahtlam/Cowichan Station), the closest CVRD area to the pool, has already said it will not be buying in and will remain in the two-tier system.
