聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 For many, it's the very best place to be on a hot summer's day.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 This summer marks the 25th season that residents of Kipling and the neighboring communities in this area have been able to enjoy the Kipling Swimming Pool. Whether it's Swimming Lessons, Lane Swim, Aqua-Fit or just the joy of being in the water...people of all ages continue to find reasons to 鈥渏ump in鈥� and have some fun.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Scott Kearns was one of the individuals who came together to make what was then a 鈥済ood idea鈥� into a reality.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e felt that there was a strong need to have something like a Swimming Pool here in Kipling for people to use,鈥� Scott recalls. 鈥淧rior to the pool being built, Kenosee Lake was really the only option that there was. So for example, if parents wanted to take their kids for swimming lessons, that was where they had to go.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 He remembers that the project faced a few challenges at the beginning.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e were working on getting that pool open for a good decade before it finally DID open. At the same time that we were raising money for the pool, there was also fund-raising going on to put artificial ice in at the rink. Those are two pretty big projects for a community this size to take on at the same time. But, the community was very generous. Businesses, organizations and individuals all got behind these projects and made some nice donations. So...BOTH of these good projects...happened!鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Scott notes that the past 25 years have shown that all of that effort was worthwhile.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he results have absolutely been much better than we expected. The Swimming Pool is very good for the community. And, it brings a lot of people from different towns in this area here to use it.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In fact for some people, such as Kelly Doud and Jordan Harcourt, the Kipling Swimming Pool has become their 鈥渟ummertime address鈥�.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚've spent five years as a Lifeguard, and this is my 3rd year as a Swimming Instructor,鈥� Kelly says. 鈥淔or me, this has always been my 'go-to place'. I took all of my Swimming Lessons here. I can remember when I was taking lessons, I thought that this would be the perfect summer job! I could be outside all summer. I could have the chance to work with kids. And...I get to swim! How cool is that?!鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Jordan nods in agreement.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭his is my 7th year as a Lifeguard and I've been a Swimming Instructor for two years now. Also, this is my 3rd year as Manager/Co-Manager at the pool. For me, it's a pretty easy location to get to. I live right across the street! I don't literally 'live' at the pool in the summertime. But, I come about as close as you can get without actually waking up there!鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Jordan and Kelly both say that Swimming Lessons bring a lot of people to the pool.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭echnically, you could start getting kids into the water when they're as young as 4 months old,鈥� Jordan explains. 鈥淏ut, the youngest kids that we see starting to learn to swim are at least one year old. It would be hard for a smaller community to get a pool like this going...and keep it going. So, we not only get kids from Kipling coming here for lessons. We get kids from a lot of the towns around Kipling coming here as well.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淪ome of them come in from quite a distance away,鈥� Kelly adds. 鈥淚 know that I've taught kids from Kennedy, Windthorst, Corning and even Broadview.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚've even seen out-of-province kids come for lessons here,鈥� Jordan notes. 鈥淭here are kids who come to Kipling to visit family or stay with Grandpa and Grandma, and they'll take their swimming lessons while they're here.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Both women are quick to note that it's not only kids who love to come to the pool.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎side from Swimming Lessons, the thing that brings the most people to the pool is definitely聽 Aqua-Fit,鈥� says Kelly. 鈥淚 REALLY enjoy those ladies...everyone does! Once you get to know them, you end up chatting about all kinds of things with them. They're great!鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hey really are an amazing group,鈥� notes Jordan. 鈥淚'll admit that I was a bit intimidated until I got to know them. Some of these ladies have been coming to the pool since it opened! But, once you meet them; you really do fall in love with them. It's been so good to see how much these ladies enjoy coming...and benefit from it. Aqua-Fit is a very low-impact form of exercise. And, you don't have to know how to swim to get involved in Aqua-Fit either. I remember, we had one lady that was pretty scared at first. Now, she's doing so much better...taking part and having fun along with all the rest!鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hose ladies take part in a lot of the fund-raising for the pool too,鈥� Kelly points out. 鈥淚 think that they practically paid for that Hot Tub!鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Indeed, fund-raising for the pool has become another one of the ways that the facility actually brings people in the community together. As Susan Hengen, (Kipling's Recreation Programmer) explains:
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淰olunteers built that pool...and for many years it was volunteers that managed it. When I first started in this position in 2006, the Pool Committee was still running it. But, it was a lot for volunteers to do. So, the Town took over managing the Swimming Pool in 2009. But that said...it's STILL volunteers that raise the money for the pool. The 'Kipling Swimming Pool Fund-raisers' are a group that cater a variety of different functions throughout the year. Those events are our primary fund-raisers, and their efforts help to pay for a variety of things. For example, this year we are having to replace our Hot Tub. That's a big cost. Our volunteer fund-raisers provide vital help by raising money to cover a major cost like that.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Susan adds that this also provides proof of just how important the pool is to this community.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淗ow much the Swimming Pool gets used is, of course, determined by the weather. For example, during the past few weeks it's been busy. Along with the programs being offered...we've seen a lot of families coming out to take advantage of Public Swimming. We really strive to make the pool something that anyone can enjoy.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淥ne of the ways we've tried to ensure this is by keeping our fees as modest as possible. That's where the effort that our volunteers have put in really serves to benefit the community. Those folks put SO much work into what they do. And, I've noticed that everyone who is involved seems to really enjoy the fellowship that happens when they get together. The people in this community...in this AREA...truly value this facility. That's obvious in the tremendous support that the Swimming Pool receives. And it's something that is wonderful to see.鈥�
