Lease disagreement with owner threatens Iqaluit swimming pool

Iqaluit’s swimming pool might end up being shut down on short notice.

A new proposed lease for the pool between the City of Iqaluit and the pool’s owner, Nunastar Properties, states that Nunastar can shut down the pool 90 days after notifying the city that the company plans to do renovations on the building.

Speaking to Iqaluit city councillors on Feb. 28, recreation coordinator Amy Elgersma said this clause in the proposed lease would present serious logistical difficulties.

Elgersma said a shut-down with 90 days notice would disrupt continuing programs, and leave the recreation department with little time to inform the public of service cancellations.

The city would also have to either lay off pool staff or find other things for them to do.

The city would not have to pay rent for the days the pool can’t be opened but would still be on the hook for utility bills.

In discussions at an Iqaluit council committee of the whole meeting on Feb. 28, councilors heard that the proposed lease agreement doesn’t state when there may be construction that could affect the swimming pool, or how long it might take.

Nor does it say how long such construction might take or how long the pool might be shut down.

Elgersma was especially worried about that section because it mentions building additional stories above the pool, which is major construction that could take months.

“For us that’s a concern because we may need to shut down the pool for some time,” Elgersma said.

The document was presented at an open city council city meeting but kept away from reporters.

Nunastar’s proposed lease agreement differed significantly from one proposed by Iqaluit’s chief administrative officer, John Hussey.

Hussey proposed a five-year lease, with a clause allowing the city to end the lease with 90 days’ notice.

Hussey wanted the “termination clause” because the city plans to build a new swimming pool within the next few years.

But Nunastar’s counter-offer was a three-year lease with no such termination clause.

Hussey also said there’s no automatic renewal of the lease. He told council that Nunastar might not be interested in another extension once a new one expires in 2013.

“So we better move on this swimming pool infrastructure,” he said.

Hussey said he’s going to go back to Nunastar to see if there’s any room for negotiation.

But the city has little choice but to accept whatever lease Nunastar demands, he said.

“The city needs a pool,” Hussey said.