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We did it! Remaining
pools saved! |
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January 20, 2010 - It
took nearly 3 years - from our first
'Save Our Pool' protests
at Keele St. Public School to today, but we can now
finally say the battle has been won. Last night, the
TDSB voted in favour of saving the remaining nine
public school pools. Thanks to all Let's Make Waves
volunteers who helped with this worthwhile campaign. |
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 TDSB
votes in favour of saving of nine school pools |
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Special meeting
called by TDSB - Jan. 19 |
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 A
special TDSB meeting will be held at 5050 Yonge
Street on Tuesday January 19th at
7:00 pm to discuss the Aquatic Working Group
Report, ‘ A Solution for TDSB Pools’ and
determine the fate of the remaining 9 pools.
Please plan to attend and show
the Trustees your support and passion for these
pools in our schools as well as our
communities. The community has rallied together
to fund permitting groups for these 9
probationary pools which can now generate
revenue, providing that the Board re-open them.
Come and see how your Trustee votes.
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Map
and directions |
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Union donates $100K
to pools! |
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 January
12, 2010 - CUPE,
the union
representing about 12,000 employees at the
Toronto District School Board,
generously donated $100,000.00 to keep Toronto
school pools open. John Weatherup, President of
Local 4400, presented a cheque to Bruce Davis,
Chair of the TDSB. In their press release they
stated “These pools are so important to so many
communities. It's not just students. People of
all ages use the pools. The range of pool
programs is incredible. There are pool programs
for seniors, separate swim classes for Muslim
girls, physiotherapy, and many more."
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 Press
Release: CUPE 4400 to donate $100K to keep Toronto
school pools open |
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Inside
Toronto - Union donates $100K to help keep school
pools open |
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CUPE
4400 helps keep school pools open |
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Aviva Community Fund results |
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Thank you to everyone who voted
for the SOS – Sink or Swim submission to the
Aviva Community Fund contest. We were among the
top 25 ideas of over 2000 submissions across
Canada. Saving TDSB pools ranked in the top 1%
of worthy social causes across Canada. Special
thanks to everyone who also posted a testimonial
– they are very compelling and still up on the
website. The Top 25 ideas are in the hands of an
independent body of judges, who will announce
their final decision for funding on January 25,
2010.
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Aviva
Community Fund - Sink or Swim |
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Aquatics Working
Group meets Sept. 29 |
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Download meeting
information sheets here |
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Let's Make Waves fact sheet |
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Nine probation school pools |
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Interested in making a difference?
Please let us know by emailing
info@letsmakewaves.ca |
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Four more pools
saved. AWG still trying to save remaining nine |
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 Sept. 24, 2009 -
Toronto trustees voted last
night to save four school pools
– two more than expected –
leaving nine pools on a list to
close at the end of the year
unless new funds are found.
Three of the saved pools, at
Jarvis Collegiate, Queen
Alexandra and Downsview
Secondary, are in needy
neighbourhoods. The pool at Fern
Avenue public school will also
reopen. |
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Toronto Star - Four school pools
spared the axe |
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Politics and
bureaucracy fail young swimmers |
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by Debbie Gordon &
Janet Dabrus of Let's Make Waves |
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Sept. 23, 2009 -
The saga of pools in Toronto District
School Board schools appeared to come to a happy
ending last week when North Toronto Councillor Josh
Matlow said, rah rah, the pools are saved, aren't we
wonderful, gold stars for all. The problem is, the well-intentioned,
camera-ready Matlow failed to see beyond the
boundaries of his toney North York community where,
indeed, the pools were saved. |
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Full Toronto Star article here |
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AWG says lower
group rates for pools will increase use |
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May 25, 2009 - In a move designed to
attract groups to under-used pools, former Toronto
mayor David Crombie's Aquatic Working Group (AWG)
has recommended a standard flat-fee of $50 an hour
for pool use.
Attention schools and
swimming pool managers: Want to rent your
pool to your local community group? Act now!!
Deadline to offer group permits at the reduced rate
of $50 is May 30th, 2009. |
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How
to permit a pool |
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Notes
from AWG May 2009 meeting |
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Toronto
Sun - Let 'em dive in for less: Crombie |
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TDSB: 13 pools
saved, hope for remaining 26 |
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April 23, 2009 -
Let's Make Waves is pleased at the decisions made
Wednesday night at the TDSB Board Meeting to work to
save all 39 school pools previously slated to close
June 2009.
In brief: |
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The
13 pools recommended by the Aquatic Working Group as
viable will be kept open pending money from the
Province for capital improvements and projected
revenue generation being realigned. |
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Decisions regarding the remaining 26 pools be
postponed to June 2009 to allow staff to work with
Aquatic Working Group to consider revenue viability. |
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The seven pools previously recommended for closure
by AWG have now been added to the list of 26 pools
for consideration to stay open pending revenue
viability. |
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TDSB
Board Minutes April 22, 2009 |
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Let's Make Waves
press release |
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Globe
and Mail - Trustees save 13 pools and give
26 a reprieve |
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CBC -
Decision on closing school pools put off
until June 30 |
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National
Post - TDSB votes to save 13 frequently used
pools |
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Victory? Province comes to rescue with more
funding - Rally at TDSB to go ahead |
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April 21, 2009 - Premier
Dalton McGuinty announced today
that the Ontario government will
provide capital funding to keep
the pools open at Toronto
schools. |
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This is great
news, however, details of the
agreement are yet to be made
public. The Premier stressed
that other partners also have a
role to play in helping to keep
the pools open, including the
private sector, the city of
Toronto and the school board. |
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Because of this, we still need
your support.
Please attend the rally at TDSB
headquarters on Wednesday, April
22nd at 6pm to show we want the
momentum to continue.. |
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Toronto Star - Ontario rescues
school pools |
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April 22nd rally details and
directions |
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Open
letter to TDSB
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Without your help, 39 pools closing for good |
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April 3, 2009 -
The TDSB is
closing 39 out of its 79 pools
in June 2009. The City and the
TDSB currently have no plans to
meet to discuss how to keep them
open. Click
here to find out what you
can do NOW. |
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TDSB now set to
vote on future of pools |
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Aquatics Working
Group releases audit on future of
pools |
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Province comes
through. Pools saved for one more year |
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TDSB won't save pools.
Crombie now last hope |
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Trustees float plan to save
pools at June 27 TDSB meeting |
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Heart and Stroke Foundation
donates to Let's Make Waves |
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June 16,
2008 - Let's Make Waves is very
pleased to announce that in
early June, the
Heart and Stroke Foundation of
Ontario provided us
with an operating grant to
assist us in all our work to
keep our pools open in Toronto
schools. More details will be
announced soon. Thank you HSFO! |
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St. Catharines gets $4.5M
from province for new pool |
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Industry Minister Jim
Bradley |
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Residents of Industry Minister
Jim Bradley's St. Catharines
riding will have to forgive
Torontonians for a case of 'pool
envy.' While irate citizens
here have been taking to the
streets to get $12M to save 78
pools from being moth-balled, their fine city is
getting a brand new
25-metre, six-lane pool plus a
smaller heated pool for children
and seniors, thanks in part to
$4.5M of provincial aid. A
St. Catharines Standard
editorial wisely pointed out
that
a new indoor pool is a necessity
for the city because "swimming
is good exercise" and it "brings
people together and forges a
sense of community." |
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According to his
Ministry of Transportation bio,
"before his election to the
legislature, Bradley was a
teacher with the Lincoln County
Board of Education. He served as
a member of the St. Catharines
City Council from 1970 to 1977." |
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St. Catharines Standard -
Provincial cash for new pool is
very welcome |
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City kids
need pools, says Margaret Attwood |
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April 19,
2008
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As a child, author Margaret
Atwood learned her limited
swimming skills during the
summer holidays at the cottage.
But, she says, that's an option
open only to a small minority. "Kids
do it [learn to
swim] at summer
camp. Yes, those
whose parents
can afford it -
who are a small
fraction of the
Toronto total.
Which leaves us
with: 'Rich kids
swim, poor kids
sink.'
Literally." |
Globe and Mail - Rich kids swim, poor kids sink
More
news
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Olympian Liz Warden dives
into pool debate |
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April 18,
2008
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Former Olympic swimmer Liz
Warden says public school pool
closings would harm recreational
users because swim classes
provide social interaction,
exercise and
lifesaving training, often for
children who struggle with or
cannot afford other sports.
She's also worried that
talented, driven athletes will
be squeezed out of a system
that's slashing already limited
resources. Warden is now a
Toronto Swim Club instructor and
kindergarten teacher at Brown
Public School, where the pool is
scheduled to close in 2009. |
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Globe and Mail - Ex-Olympian speaks up to save pools
More
news
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