Pool funding comes up short

Families who enjoy splashing at the Hants Aquatic Centre may have to wait a little longer for a permanent pool house. The Hants Aquatic Society, the main partner in the development, is still paying off last summer’s installation of the outdoor pool at Elmcroft Park, and fundraising for Phase 2 has slowed.

Co-chairs Andrew Kirk and Kevin White declined to comment on the amount of debt owed by the society, but both are sure that an expected HST rebate will pay off all creditors with cash to spare.

White said that the current debt is “just a bump in the road” and that the society’s finances are in order. “It has always been the plan that the HST rebate available to us as a charitable organization would cover the outstanding amounts.”

Delay in the HST rebate is due to efforts by the society to be defined as a municipal unit, which would increase the rebate amount. What the Society didn’t expect, White said, is that the application process for municipal unit status would take so long.

“We didn’t expect that that application process would slow down the overall rebate process,” he said.

Town considers taking over

A possible takeover of the project was a topic of discussion at the Windsor town council Committee of the Whole (CoW) session Feb. 12. Although the Society is building the pool with the assistance of the town and the Municipality of West Hants, the property is to be turned over to Windsor when all phases are complete.

As dissolving the society would prevent collection of the HST Rebate, the committee decided to remain with the status quo.

Public works director Don Beattie said that the town and society are still hopeful that fundraising will get back on track. “Council will just have to keep an eye on and make decisions as the process moves along.”

Aquatic Society confident

Both project co-chairs are confident that the debt will be covered very soon. Kirk said, “I really think that within a month or less it will be looked after. We have every reason to be confident it is going to happen”

White expressed gratitude to the society’s creditors. “We very much appreciate cooperation and relative patience of our suppliers.”

The society is still seeking fundraising pledges, however. Kirk acknowledged that “fundraising has definitely slowed down. We had some very good success initially, but it has slowed down.”

White added that there are pledges for financial contributions to Phase 2, but the society “wants to have all funds in place” before construction of a permanent pool house begins.

Even if the pool house is not built by the beginning of the 2008 summer season, White said that the slowdown is “unfortunate, but not a bad news story. We have a functional space that has provided wonderful experiences and will continue to do so.”