TORONTO—An aquatic centre suited to the needs and wishes of Toronto locals opened its doors this Sunday afternoon at Regent Park.
Through a public consultation with the locals, officials had a pretty good idea what people wanted from their new centre, and they received quite a complete wish list.
The new centre includes a leisure pool, lap pool, therapy pool, a Tarzan rope, a green roof, a waterslide, a sun terrace, and more. It also features Toronto’s first ultraviolet sanitation system.
“The new Regent Park Aquatic Centre was built with input from local residents and it is integral to the community. It provides a great opportunity for life-long physical activity and teaches an essential life skill.
“Toronto’s recreational facilities encourage healthy play, sports, cultural and community activities,” said Councillor Paul Ainslie in a press release.
Local officials, including city councillors Ainslie and Pam McConnell and federal Environment Minister Peter Kent were on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at Regent Park.
McConnell said at the opening ceremony that facilities like this are a crucial part of social infrastructure in the community.
“The aquatic centre will provide much needed access to swimming and recreation opportunities, and just as important, it will act as an important hub for the community and build bridges into the surrounding neighbourhoods,” she said.
The facility will also offer swim programs for preschoolers and adults, and visitors will have year-round access to the pool. A lifeguard training program geared toward youth will aim to teach leadership skills.
According to Kent, the new Regent Park Aquatic Centre, as part of the revitalization project, will ensure that people of all ages have a modern aquatic facility that promotes healthy living and exercise.
The entire Regent Park neighbourhood is undergoing revitalization to introduce more rental buildings, condos, town houses, and commercial buildings by restoring or replacing run-down housing. The community will strive to become a “successful, mixed-income, mixed-use neighborhood,” to be on par with other Toronto neighbourhoods, said the release.
The Regent Park Aquatic Centre was jointly funded by the federal and provincial governments, which contributed $1 million each. The City of Toronto allocated $14.6 million.
“Our government is proud to have invested in this local project and will continue to make investments like this one, in line with our priorities of jobs, growth, and long-term prosperity,” Kent said.
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