January 24, 2025: river/stone walking in swimming pools
Good Morning,
Happy Friday. I'm in Florida for SGE Camp 2025, an annual conference for aquatic professionals hosted on a cruise ship. Many people have asked me why I attend this conference, so I'll be vlogging it this year similar to the WWA Show and IAAPA Expo (video out on our YouTube Channel tomorrow).
Before you get too jealous, the weather here has been absolutely terrible. If you've seen the news reports of snow in New Orleans and the ice in Georgia, this is it: yesterday was a high of 8C/46F, overcast with heavy rain and miserable. You win some, you lose some?! None-the-less, I'm excited to spend the next six days with other poolies.
I can't say there's a definable theme to the swimming pool/aquatic industry news I've been reading this week, so let's just dive right in. I hope you find something helpful to your day-to-day work. Thanks for reading.
Kniepp Path/walking on stones in a pool
A year ago I'd never even heard of a Kniepp Path or 'aquapath' and now I'm aware of two installations in Canada, one in Collingwood, ON and one coming to Calgary, AB later this year. There's not a lot of detailed information about the practice in English, but essentially it appears to be adjacent to the Nordic wellness cycle and forest bathing movements. Wellness marketing in the pool industry is not going anywhere anytime soon! For example, I've received several targeted ads recently letting me know the Kananaskis Nordic Spa is starting a major expansion.
Mother indicted more than a year after son's drowning at El Paso's Camp Cohen Water Park
It is my personal opinion that no one "wins" when we charge parents or caregivers for neglect leading to a child's fatal drowning, but here we are.
Stepdad Accused of Repeatedly Throwing Boy, 2, into Pool to Teach Swimming Charged with Murder After Drowning
If you don't know the story of Yoni Gottesman, his family maintains his legacy by hosting a website including video footage (shown at trial) of their child being dunked over a dozen times prior to his death. Lifeguards don't want to be the "fun police," but dunking and throwing children can be extremely dangerous.
‘Huge demand’ for swimming lessons amid pool capacity and staffing challenges
Normally I would write this type of article off as a journalist seek content during a slow news week, but - as someone who lives in the Calgary area - I'm hearing things behind the scenes that suggest there's a lot more to this story.... For comparison, other pools in neighboring Okotoks and Cochrane don't have the same staff shortages, and they pay far less than the City of Calgary, so the math isn't mathing as the kids say.
Richmond Hill’s famous Wave Pool reopens to the public after spending nearly five dry years closed
I would say the same things about this story: why did it take five years to come up with $400,000 and complete repairs? I've been on the receiving side of questions like this as a municipal administrator, and ratepayers have a right to know. $400K is not chump change, but it's not insurmountable or unexpected for most commercial swimming pools operating budgets.
Nick Smith Centre Arena Revitalization
This is the municipal disclosure regarding a big infrastructure project in Arnprior, ON and I love love love the transparency with which ratepayers can see how they got this point in the revitalization project.
Town of Innisfail to renovate Aquatic Centre rather than build new facility
There have been no substantial renovations to this facility since 1987.
Greater Sydney council bans ‘revealing swimwear’ sparking debate about double standards
It is my opinion that aquatic organizations should not be in the business of policing swimwear, period. As long as genitalia are covered (a requirement in most jurisdictions), this is not an area where lifeguards should expend energy enforcing antiquated, WASP-ish idea of propriety. I actually recorded a chat with a colleague when the Vancouver Park Board swimwear policy hit, and we'll be doing a follow up on this policy from Sydney, Australia so please subscribe to our YouTube Channel. I aim to post one new video (interview, presentation, etc.) each week, but sometimes life does get in the way of this passion project.
15 Unique Data Points to Track in 2025
I really love this list for aquatic facility managers. More data informs better decision-making. Statistics also justify changes.
This year, we're celebrating five years (!) since the 2020 POOLaide Webinars. I continue to update links & resources for each session every few weeks.
That's it, that's all!
Katie Crysdale
Lakeview Aquatic Consultants Ltd.