Honking horns of support and rubble are all you see and hear at the corner of Vickers Street North and Dease Street.
“We’ve taken away their lifeline. Many of these kids come from low-income families. It’s very important that the city fulfill their obligation, their commitment and their promise to these kids” stresses Ray Smith.
Smith, despite council voting down saving the Dease Pool by a vote of 8-3, can’t understand why they couldn’t find the cash to save the aging pool.
“They took $7 million from the gas tax fund for the indoor turf facility. They’re going to borrow $15 million on top of our $212 million in debt. You’re going to take $1.2 million from the hotel tax. Not only that, they secured $10 million from Renew Thunder Bay so don’t tell they have no money” Smith notes.
The city has budgeted over $260,000 to do the tear down, but it’s still unclear as to what will go there.
“Just don’t build an apartment building, replace it with something similar” Kateri Banning says as crews continued their work. “I have no choice but to start brainstorming for what else could be put here instead, but for a good price. Nothing elaborate, it has to be the right budget.”
Banning adds the fight isn’t over, saying “I plan on being just as annoying fighting for a new plan. Just because they won this part of the battle doesn’t mean we’re just going to walk away”.
The city has indicated they want to commemorate the legacy of the pool while using the space for community use.
