Inglewood pool buoyed by support rally at city hall

Rally held to save Inglewood pool An afternoon rally outside Calgary city hall is expected to shine a spotlight on an embattled southeast pool. Mason DePatie reports.

A community-led rally will be held at city hall on Friday afternoon to show support for the Inglewood Aquatic Centre.

The event will take place at 3 p.m. and comes on the heels of an urgent motion to delay the facility's closure.

The executive policy committee unanimously passed a motion on Thursday calling on council to allocate $350,000 for critical upgrades and another $400,000 for operational funding.

With the motion passed, it will now be up to council to decide if the money would be well-spent.

Council originally decided to expedite the pool's closure in an 8-7 vote in early October.

City reports show the aquatic centre was built in 1962 and is about 20 years past its life expectancy.

Council cited dwindling use and the need for major electrical repairs, which could cost close to a million dollars as reasons to shut it down.

Councillors Sonya Sharp and Andre Chabot argued it should stay open until renovations at the MNP Centre finish in 2026.

The issue will be up for debate again in a few weeks.