St. James swim team losing home pool to renovations until 2026 as Winnipeg faces wave of closures
A Winnipeg swim team has been left treading water as its home pool has once again closed for long-term renovations, and the closure of three more pools looms this fall.
Josh Koldon, head coach of the St. James Seals, said the club will likely see its numbers drop as swimmers and coaches are forced to abandon the St. James Civic Centre Pool and drive across the city to find dwindling pool space.
This season, the team has 85 swimmers, ranging from age four to 19. Koldon said the club had to rebuild its numbers after the civic centre pool was closed from April 2020 to September 2022 for building upgrades. The COVID-19 pandemic also impacted pool availability over that period.
"Being prepared to lose those numbers, it sucks. It's heartbreaking," Koldon said.
"We probably won't have a designated home pool for the next couple of years."
The civic centre pool closed to the public on Sunday and won't reopen until the fall of 2026. The recreation centre, which was built in 1967, will get a new multipurpose room, additional meeting rooms, a new kitchen, an upgraded pool viewing area and shared program space for seniors, along with upgrades to the centre's auditorium and its parking lot.
The city said the Seven Oaks, Elmwood-Kildonan and Margaret Grant pools are set for temporary closures in the fall, while the Bonivital pool remains closed for building renewal upgrades. The city has not shared details about closure timelines.
The Cindy Klassen pool is currently closed for a circulation pump replacement, but the city said it is expected to reopen in the coming days.
WATCH | City faces wave of pool closures:
The St. James Assiniboia Centennial Pool will remain open as the nearby civic centre closes for at least 14 months, which might mean busier lanes for swimmers at that pool.
William Anderson, 14, swims there every Wednesday, and said pool access is important to him. However, he's not concerned about more swimmers joining him at his home pool.
"I think I'll be fine," he said.
As registration for the summer session of city-run swim lessons opened to the public Tuesday, the city said there are still many spaces available in classes, despite pool closures.
The closure of the civic centre pool comes just over two months after the University of Manitoba had a serious leak at its pool and was forced to drain it in an emergency closure.
Raman Dhaliwal, associate vice-president of administration at the U of M, said the leak is beyond repair and the 60-year-old Joyce Fromson Pool will be replaced.
The pool is the designated practice space for the Bisons swim team. It is also used by students and the wider community for swim lessons and regular swim programming.
The U of M pool is not expected to reopen until the spring of 2026, leaving university athletes without a home pool to train at.
"The faculty is looking for alternative places for the Bison swim team to continue with their programming," Dhaliwal said.
St. James Seals coach Koldon said the long-term pool closures at U of M and the civic centre, coupled with the upcoming temporary closures at multiple pools across the city this fall, will make finding lane space in Winnipeg a competitive sport.
"There's going to be a lot of people looking for what space is available, and it'll be hard to divvy up who gets what," he said.
"It takes a hit from everybody, not just us."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
How Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is quietly becoming the best Canadian basketball player ever
Professional basketball's often contentious greatest of all time debate will likely never be settled, but the conversation about the greatest Canadian to play in the NBA could very well be resolved as early as this week. The Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who this season joined two-time NBA regular season MVP winner Steve Nash of B.C. as the only Canadians to win the award, has dominated this year's NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers, a series that continues in a potentially decisive Game 6 tonight in Indianapolis. Should the Thunder emerge victorious, or in a Game 7 on Saturday back in Oklahoma City, Gilgeous-Alexander is the odds-on favourite to be awarded the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award. Only a handful of players have won both MVP honours in a single season, all of them among the game's true greats: Willis Reed, Kareem Abdul-Jabar, Moses Malone, Magic Johnson, Lebron James, who did it twice, and Michael Jordan, who was bestowed both honours on four occasions. While Nash's MVPs came in successive seasons (2004-2006) when he was key to the Phoenix Suns' success, he never played in the Finals during his remarkable 18-season Hall of Fame career. (Although he would later become a de facto champion by way of consulting duties with the Golden State Warriors in 2017.) In an interview with The Ringer earlier this year, Nash himself admitted that if Gilgeous-Alexander isn't already, 'he'll be the best Canadian to ever play the game — and in short order.' He's done so by approaching the game — on and off the court — with composure and humility, while developing into a leader who recognizes his broader role for the young team and its fans. A case in point: he signed 429 autographs in the hours before Game 2, thinking he'd only signed a few dozen. 'Greatest season for a Canadian' Statistically, the 26-year-old from Hamilton, Ont., conclusively produced the single best regular season by a Canadian player this season. His 32.7 points per game average led the league and was supported by five rebounds, 6.4 assists and a field goal percentage of 51.9 per cent. His true shooting percentage, a stat used to determine shot efficiency, was an incredible 63.7 per cent. Only two other players in the NBA's history have averaged similar figures: Jordan and 2017-18 MVP James Harden. 'Steve (Nash) would tell you this is the greatest season for a Canadian,' said Dwayne Washington, founder of UPLAY Canada, who coached a young Gilgeous-Alexander for several years before he left to finish high school playing against stiffer competition in Tennessee. 'So when the dust clears, people are only gonna look at statistics, and statistically it's undeniable.' Similarly, Gilgeous-Alexander, already the recipient of the Western Conference Final MVP award, has produced playoff numbers that put him in rare air. He has scored 30-plus points in 15 games, tying him with Kobe Bryant for the most in a single postseason and one off the record held by Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon. He also set an NBA record by scoring at least 30 points in 10 straight home games. Three of those have come in the Finals, during which he is averaging 32.4 ppg and 2.4 steals, both of which rank among the top five in history, per the league. That includes a 35-point performance in Game 4 — highlighted by a 15-point run in the final 5 minutes to help the Thunder come from behind and tie the series up at two apiece — and a 31-point, 10-assist double-double in Game 5. According to Sportsnet, his 162 points through the first five games are the fourth most by any player. He also joined an elite group last week when he became the 12th player with more than 3,000 total points in a single season (regular season and playoffs combined). Another staggering number: the 429 autographs he signed before Game 2. He thought he'd only done 50 or 60. Humble and hard-working Like he was all season, Gilgeous-Alexander has continued to be humble about his success on the court, promoting selflessness and a team-first mentality in post-game interviews, often hailing his teammates' contributions as being just as vital. After Game 5, he heaped praise on forward Jalen Williams' 40-point effort and said he was just 'trying to affect winning.' 'Trying to make a basketball play. I was trying to help the team win, trying to be in position for the next rotation, next play defensively. Whatever comes with that, comes with that.' Washington, whose program has provided coaching and mentorship to other Canadian NBA talent such as R.J. Barrett, Lindell Wigginton, and Shaedon Sharpe, told National Post he's been impressed with how Gilgeous-Alexander is handling the defensive pressure, even likening it to what Jordan experienced in the playoffs. 'That is so hard to do. Some of the best athletes in the world are double- and triple-teaming you, and you're still getting 30, 10 assists and winning with a team so young,' he explained. (The Thunder's average age is just 25.6 years, making them the youngest squad to play for a title since the 1977 Portland Trailblazers.) Washington offered more comparisons to Jordan, along with Bryant, in terms of Gilgeous-Alexander's approach to the game off the court — 'He's out-studying, outmaneuvering, out-planning, and out-working people before they even step on the court,' he said — and a fall-away mid-range jump shot that both legends deployed with lethal efficiency throughout their careers. He said the six-foot-six guard has been working on that shot for years, and it comes naturally to him. However, most NBA coaches preach against the generally low-percentage shot attempt despite it being a go-to for elite offensive players. Washington said Gilgeous-Alexander has been told not to shoot it 'most of his career,' but he's continued to perfect it anyway. 'I know he's been working on it, so it's great to see it in real time,' Washington said. 'I'll be honest with you, if he'd listen to other people telling him what not to do, he wouldn't be there.' Nash also offered a Jordan and Bryant comparison in an interview with the Toronto Star last month, saying Gilgeous-Alexander 'does the same thing they do.' 'If you look at the numbers and you break it down, there's a lot of things he does that are greater than everyone that's even close to those type of players. So he's ascending towards that category.' He'll look to continue that ascension when the NBA Finals resume tonight. Game time is 8:30 p.m. ET. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Dallas Stars re-sign Matt Duchene to a 4-year, $18 million contract
Dallas Stars' Matt Duchene (95) and Edmonton Oilers' Zach Hyman (18) battle for the puck during the second period of Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Western Conference finals in Edmonton, Alberta, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP) Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) moves the puck as Dallas Stars center Matt Duchene (95) close in during the third period in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero) Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) moves the puck as Dallas Stars center Matt Duchene (95) close in during the third period in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero) Dallas Stars' Matt Duchene (95) and Edmonton Oilers' Zach Hyman (18) battle for the puck during the second period of Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Western Conference finals in Edmonton, Alberta, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP) Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) moves the puck as Dallas Stars center Matt Duchene (95) close in during the third period in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero) FRISCO, Texas (AP) — The Dallas Stars have re-signed forward Matt Duchene to a four-year contract worth $18 million. General manager Jim Nill announced the deal Thursday. Duchene will count $4.5 million against the salary cap through the 2028-29 season. Advertisement 'We are thrilled to have Matt back with our organization,' Nill said in a statement. 'As our team's leading scorer last season, he helped to solidify our forward group while also providing invaluable leadership off the ice and in the community. The fit with Matt and our team has been seamless from the start, and we're looking forward to continuing to pursue our shared goal of bringing a championship to Dallas.' Duchene was a point-a-game scorer — exactly 82 in 82 — in his second season with Dallas. He had just one goal and five assists in 16 playoff games as the Stars reached the Western Conference final before losing to Edmonton. Now 34, Duchene is going into his 17th season in the NHL. He previously played for Colorado, Columbus, Ottawa and Nashville since making his debut in 2009. ___ AP NHL:
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Connor McDavid Makes Clear Statement About Oilers After Stanley Cup Loss
Connor McDavid Makes Clear Statement About Oilers After Stanley Cup Loss originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Florida Panthers closed out the Edmonton Oilers with a dominant 5–1 victory in Game 6 on Tuesday night, securing their second consecutive Stanley Cup on home ice against the same team they already beat last season. Advertisement Florida jumped out early, scored twice in the first period, and never looked back. The Oilers were limited to a meager and meaningless goal with less than five minutes left in regulation and the score 5-0 in favor of the Panthers. While the result brought another painful ending for Edmonton, captain Connor McDavid pushed back on any notion that his team quit in the deciding game. "We lost to a really good team," McDavid said. "Nobody quit, nobody threw the towel in, but they're a heck of a team. They're back-to-back Stanley Cup champions for a reason." Sam Reinhart scored four goals for the Panthers, including two empty-netters, while Matthew Tkachuk added one in the opening frame. Advertisement The Oilers didn't get on the board until Vasily Podkolzin scored with just over four minutes left. McDavid was left off the board in Tuesday's game and held to just one goal and six assists in the series. "Their forecheck was great. They tilted the rink. They were able to stay on top of us all over the place," McDavid said. "Never really able to generate any momentum up the ice." Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) controls the puck defended by Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) during the 2025 Stanley Cup Navarro-Imagn Images McDavid, even after another crushing finals loss, maintained belief in the group and was already looking forward to making another deep run next season. "Still a lot of confidence and belief," McDavid said. "I don't think people thought we were going to make it this far. We obviously believed. Came up just short again." Advertisement With their second consecutive loss, the Oilers became the first team since the 1977-78 Boston Bruins to lose back-to-back finals. Related: Panthers Not the Favorites in Initial 2026 Stanley Cup Odds Related: NHL Makes Historic Connor McDavid Announcement Amid Stanley Cup Final This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
