Municipal Council has approved an investment of $25,000 in Basin Aquatics Association (BAA) to assist with the re-establishment of the aquatics facility at Basin Centre in Cornwallis Park.

In March 2023, the BAA was developed with the goal of reopening the swimming pool in the Basin Centre. The Association is planning to lease the pool facility with the intention of drawing in memberships and acquiring municipal support to achieve the re-institution of a swimming pool in Cornwallis Park.

“Because the Association is a new organization it is hard to tell whether it will be able to sell the required memberships and create a sustainable business plan,” said Warden Alex Morrison. “However, we (Council) feel the benefits of providing increased recreational and healthy living options to our residents in the western part of Annapolis County far outweighs this uncertainty. It was decided supporting this venture was the right thing to do at this time.”

During a presentation to Council in May 2023, the Association requested $125,000 annually to help with rental payment and other operating expenses, with the understanding it would be contacting neighbouring municipalities and seeking other grant funding programs.

Municipal staff obtained information on BAA’s future plans, incorporation documents, and budget that was used to help in preparing their recommendation.

“After much consideration, Council felt $25,000 was a wise investment to support the early stages of BAA’s initiative,” noted Warden Morrison. “This will allow us to see if the community is interested in investing in the pool by purchasing memberships and utilizing the facility. It also allows time to gain important knowledge on the true operating expenses of the facility, and provides the Association time to garner other government and community funding.”