Dear Flagstaff , Town of Killam and the Killam Recreation Board.

I am writing this letter to you today with regards to some input about the Killam Pool. I have been working in Aquatics for 20 years and have worked at City pools and Small Town pools and have held all positions. I take my daughter swimming weekly and she is in swimming lessons twice year; however, I do not swim at the Killam pool (which is a 15 minute drive). I drive to Forestburg (20‐25 minute drive in the summer) and Camrose (30‐35 minute drive).

1. Budget – most pools do not make enough revenue to support themselves, the last training session I was at we talked about this and I know for northern , Strathcona County (Millennium Place) and (Tri Leisure Centre) were the only pools that made a profit.

The only difference of cost per hour of a pool being opened and closed is the cost of the lifeguard wages, if a pool is going to be open it should be open. The limited hours Killam is open (and every second weekend) is hard for people to plan to come to the pool around other thing.

Since I live out of town I do pay more for going to the Camrose pool for lessons but all other swims I do not. I don’t even live in that county so I don’t mind paying more for this reason. However; since I live in I feel like my tax dollars should go toward facilities in my surrounding towns as I relay on those towns’ services and shouldn’t have to pay more. People who live in town have the benefit of having that facility right there. Yes they have to pay taxes for that facility but everyone else had to drive to that facility.

2. Seasonal Pool (October – May) ‐ I think looking into running the pool opposite to the Forestburg pool would be a great idea. I think that is the pools worked together to cost share items (pool toys which are expensive and staff training) it could help out both facilities. I think September is a wasted month to be open with people getting back into school and harvest.

3. Swim Club – instead of having two smaller summer clubs they could have one big summer club swimming in Killam in May and Forestburg in June and July. Or Killam could run a winter club or a year round club between both pools (if there where kids interested) could be an option.

4. A main reason I don’t swim at the Killam pool is every time I have gone swimming the Lifeguards are reading on deck, I know I am watching my daughter but who’s watching me?

5. Some of the rules at the pool are a little over the top. The last time I was swimming there (over 2 years ago) I left my husband and daughter in the hot tub so I could go change. When I came out to get my daughter from my husband the lifeguard informed me that no street clothes were not allowed on deck. I was confused since I didn’t have shoes on (which is a standard rule) but I had never heard this rule before. I knew that this was a bigger problem that the lifeguard was more concerned with me on deck with clothes on and having he back turned to the pool for over a minute. Pool Rules are in place for the safety of the people in the water, they may need to be looked at.

6. I know the pool went from Lifesaving Society Swimming Lessons (which is 1 course) to Red Cross Swimming Lessons (which is 4 parts and then within a year 3 more courses) However, if the pool is going to offer, Swim Patrol, Bronze Star, Bronze Medallion, and Bronze Cross (which you need these courses to become a lifeguard) they will need to take part the Lifesaving Society Course in order to teach these. Now you have to pay for more courses for staff, more for recerts, more for having an affiliation with both Lifesaving and Red Cross to run their course.

My issue with the Swimming lessons at the pool and why the pool has low numbers is because the lessons are run by people who aren’t trained yet. Nobody should be teaching a swimming lesson unless they have passed the course. The pool blamed that is was the Lifesaving Society Lessons and that’s why the switch was made, yet nothing has changed with the quality of lessons. Get the staff properly trained and have on going staff training. I would like to see Lifesaving Lessons to be brought back.

7. School Lessons – More could be done to get schools to have lessons from Grade 1 – 6 and if daytime staffing is a problem there are ways to get moms trained properly who only want to work when their kids are in school.

8. Pool Wall – it’s boring. Need something amazing on it.

9. Hot Tub – when I have gone swimming it was never working and the staff would tell me the pH is high, so I asked what they were doing to fix the problem and they said nothing. There are ways to fix this that could have had people in the hot tub. Staff needed to be trained to deal with mechanical.

10. Monthly or every second month special event a few ideas: a. A Halloween swim before Halloween, have games on deck, loot bags, presell tickets b. Partner with the library and have a movie on the wall during a swim c. Survivor Event d. Free Family Day Swim get sponsors and prizes

11. Special registered events like, underwater hockey, water polo, or scuba diving could bring more interested to the pool.

These are a few of the issues and ideas I have with regards to the facility. If you have any questions you can contact me at 780‐781‐8450.

Thank you.

Laura Zwack