St. Boniface residents drained after demolition of Happyland pool

As demolition continues at one outdoor pool in St. Boniface, a city councillor hopes to take a second look at extending the life of another one.

Crews began tearing down Happyland outdoor pool on Thursday, after city council voted to shutter it for good last year.

“We’re heartbroken, we’re disgusted … because this was a perfectly good pool, there was nothing wrong with it,” said Teresa Cwik, president of the South St. Boniface Residents Association. “The taxpayers are paying … to demolish an asset that belongs to the people of Winnipeg.”

In 2024, residents raised $86,000 toward the pool’s operating costs, attempting to sway city council to keep it open for another season. Instead, council cast a final vote to close the facility.

“We offered money to keep the pool running and they turned it down … The children have lost a huge asset,” said Cwik.

Protest signs could be spotted around the demolition site this week.

But as that removal continues, one city councillor hopes to convince his colleagues to help another outdoor St. Boniface pool avoid the same fate.

The city’s 2024 budget also proposed to shut down the Windsor Park outdoor pool before council voted to allow it to open for two more summers.

With that grace period now over, St. Boniface Coun. Matt Allard hopes the future of the Windsor Park pool can be reconsidered.

“Council direction is to demolish (it) at this time. I’m looking to see if there might be some options on Windsor (to keep it open). Residents have spoken loud and clear that outdoor pools in St. Boniface are important,” said Allard.

The councillor said he hopes elected officials will revisit the issue, noting the outcome will partly depend on the facility’s current physical state.

The city estimates it would cost $159,000 to operate the Windsor Park pool for the 2026 season, while fully repairing it would cost $4.6 million, said spokeswoman Pam McKenzie, in an email.

The cost to repair Happyland was estimated at $3.6 million in early 2024.

“With Windsor, it’s been operating for the last couple of years … Its chances of being serviceable, I think, are better. I think the council direction’s been clear on Happyland. My efforts are (also) focused on (a) new regional aquatic facility,” said Allard.

The city has been exploring sites for a potential outdoor aquatic park in St. Boniface. Preliminary plans call for a heated outdoor pool and a building with change rooms, washrooms and showers.

It’s not clear how much the larger facility would cost.

Mayor Scott Gillingham was not available for an interview Friday.

In an email, he said Happyland closed because “it was well past its service life and required significant and costly repairs.”

“We need to make longer-term decisions that serve the community for decades to come. Planning for a new aquatic park in St. Boniface has begun and community input will be a key part of this process,” wrote Gillingham.

The mayor’s statement did not directly answer questions about the Windsor Park outdoor pool, only noting “conversations with councillors about a wide range of local priorities” are expected during the city’s 2026 budget process.

Coun. Vivian Santos (Point Douglas), chairwoman of the community services committee, did not respond to requests for comment by deadline Friday.

Some residents fear a large outdoor aquatic centre won’t fill Happyland’s place, since it would be further away from them and more expensive to visit. Cwik also cast doubt on the city’s ability to afford a larger regional attraction.

“If (the city) didn’t have the money to operate (Happyland) pool, how are (they) going to pay for the next pool?” she said.

The money residents raised to save the pool is no longer available, said Nathalie Kleinschmit, executive director of Francofonds. The charity supports Francophone community projects and helped oversee the pool fundraising.

Kleinschmit said many fundraising pledges were not collected. Those who handed in donations were given a choice of where to redirect their contributions, much of which went to community associations and other recreation funding, she said.

“Almost all of the donors redirected it to recreation and access to sports,” said Kleinschmit.

The city will pay $91,960 to demolish Happyland Pool and “tentatively” expects the work to be completed within 30 working days, McKenzie confirmed.

Meanwhile, work to renovate the Bonivital and St. James Civic Centre pools has led them to be closed temporarily, further limiting pool access.

The city says Bonivital is expected to reopen later this year, while St. James Civic Centre’s pool will reopen in fall 2026.

“Temporary closures for maintenance and repair are common for aquatics facilities. We schedule and coordinate these closures as much as possible to minimize the impacts to the public,” wrote McKenzie.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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