1946 – 2026 Watching Steinbach Grow: Council will build outdoor pool for cash

MAY 5, 1978—Steinbach town council, Monday, decided to build an outdoor pool at the new community park, bringing to a close, years of discussions, speculation and controversy. The issue also involved the town’s ratepayers in three pool votes over the last five years.

The spacious, well equipped outdoor pool will cost $350,000; and construction is expected to begin almost immediately to allow the structure to be used next summer.

Council spent very little time debating the matter at their last regular meeting and the vote passed easily, with only Councillors George Neufeld and Harold Unger opposed.

No tax levy will be required to build the pool, councillors pointed out, as construction will be financed on a cash basis. Financing includes a $263,000 withdrawal from surplus funds, $67,000 in labour forgiveness grants and a $20,000 provincial lottery grant.

Contractor A.K. Penner and Sons of Blumenort told council it would agree to build the pool for a contract price of $335,000 plus certain extras if a decision was made before Friday, May 19. Had the decision been further delayed, the town would probably have had to tender the project again and higher prices would have resulted, council was told.

Construction bids for the outdoor pool were received last year, but council made no decision to build at that time, since an indoor pool was then still a possibility. Ratepayers decisively rejected an indoor pool in a referendum, April 11.

Before Monday’s meeting, it appeared council was evenly divided on the question of a pool at the park and Mayor A.D. Penner had braced himself to break the tie, if necessary. However, Coun. Les Magnusson reversed his earlier stand only hours before the meeting, eliminating the possibility of a tie vote.

Describing the past two weeks as a period of “soul-searching” for himself, Magnusson said he still believed the park location to be unpopular and unwise at the present time, but added he could see the merits of this location in the future.

Mayor Penner, who had privately vowed several weeks ago he would see the pool through despite opposition, was jubilant following the vote. He declared later he would not have hesitated for a moment to break a tie vote in favour of the pool.

“We’ve talked about this a long, long time,” he said. “It was time we made a decision.”

The mayor said he believed 75 percent of the people might at present be opposed to an outdoor pool, but in time they will agree the decision was a good one.

Compared to previous pool discussions, Monday’s debate was strangely reserved in addition to its brevity. Most councillors, in fact, said nothing, after looking at a breakdown of the latest construction costs.

Coun. Neufeld remained opposed to the motion because he favours an indoor pool, while Coun. Unger explained he could not support this expenditure when the people had just defeated the indoor pool proposal.

Mayor Penner emphasized to council the provincial government has included a paved bicycle path to the park in its construction plans for Highway 12, which is expected to be ready for use sometime next summer.

The town has plans to build a second cycling path to the park from Townline Avenue, (Loewen Boulevard) but no schedule has been set for its construction.

Council considered bicycle paths to be crucial in the decision to locate the pool at the park, as parents would not permit their children to travel along Highway 12.