Operating hours of the Aquatic Centre at Western Financial Place will stay at normal hours going forward, following a pilot project earlier this year which temporarily adjusted operating hours in an effort to reduce costs to taxpayers.

At the direction of City of Cranbrook council, staff undertook the pilot project from March 31 to June 7, in tandem with a public survey to gather feedback on these temporary changes to the aquatic centre operating hours.

This pilot project initiated by council was in response to public input from the Budget 2025 Citizen Survey conducted in the fall of 2024 to reduce the tax increase by reducing services.

On Monday, staff presented the findings of the pilot project to council, which did generate some financial savings – notably over $14,000 in operating costs mostly from reducing staffing costs during the period of the pilot project. However, results from public feedback highlighted decreased user satisfaction, concerns with reduced accessibility and overall concern over the service cuts.

“We as a council are listening and we take this public feedback seriously. We asked staff to explore some operational adjustments through this recent pilot project,” said Mayor Wayne Price.

“We did see some financial savings, but it is clear there was a negative impact to our users because of the reduced accessibility to the pool. Our residents and users told us the pool is an important space and that the reduced hours were a problem. We are listening, which is why council asked staff to keep the pool hours unchanged going forward.”

Staff will continue working to improve how the Aquatic Centre operates, with a focus on better efficiency and service. Full-day hours will remain in place, but staff will begin using dynamic zone closures throughout the day. This means certain parts of the pool may be closed at times depending on public demand, scheduled programs, and staff availability—ensuring resources are used effectively without limiting public access.

In addition, staff will adjust the pool’s daily schedule to reduce crowding during peak times and keep lane swimming more consistent. Bookings with School District No. 5 will also be coordinated more strategically to align with available capacity, helping manage both staffing and safety needs. These steps are part of ongoing efforts to provide high-quality service while using public resources responsibly.

You can review the full report to council and read all of the survey results as part of the pilot project here.

City of Cranbrook

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