Aquatic Sport Council Letter Writing Campaign

The Aquatic Sport Council (ASC) represents athletes, coaches, officials, recreation professionals, and volunteers across Ontario. ASC's mission is to help make Ontario a global leader in aquatic sports by increasing the number of 50m pools in the province. This will be achieved by:

Encouraging ongoing collaboration with all relevant groups and communities,
Showing the many benefits of aquatic sports,
Creating and sharing useful resources, research, and knowledge about aquatic facilities.

Currently, Ontario has only nineteen 50m pools, and just four have been built since the year 2000. Municipalities (local governments) are responsible for building and managing community recreation spaces, including aquatic facilities. However, they face several challenges when it comes to building 50m pools, including:

Rapid population growth and urban development,
Aging recreational facilities built between the 1960s and 1980s,
Increasing construction and operational costs,
Growing demand for accessible, inclusive, and multi-use facilities.

ASC is actively working with the Government of Ontario to develop a plan to increase the number of 50m pools in the province. Ontario currently has the second-lowest number of these pools in Canada. To move forward and encourage municipalities to include 50m pools in their future plans, it is important to engage local aquatic clubs and communities. This will show that there is support for 50m pools at both the provincial and municipal levels.

What Can Local Aquatic Clubs Do?

This package is designed to inform and activate local aquatic clubs by providing them with the background, key messages, and materials needed to advocate for 50m pools in their communities. By applying pressure and demonstrating local demand, aquatic clubs can encourage their local governments to study the feasibility of building a 50m pool. ASC will support clubs throughout the process to help drive change.