Heather Flaherty knows someone will want to be the last person out of Centennial Pool on Sunday.
The public swim from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday will be the final swim in the pool, which is closing after 52 years.
"I'm sure there will be a few wanting to be the last one out of the pool at eight o'clock, and that's okay," said Flaherty, the city's general manager of parks and recreation.
Guelph City Council voted in September to close the pool after a staff report showed it was in need of $1.2 million in mechanical and accessibility upgrades.
"There was numbers that supported it," Flaherty said.
Flaherty said programming and rentals have been shifted to the city's other two pools and there are no lost jobs as a result of the closure.
The actual facility is owned by the Upper Grand District School board and once the city removes its equipment and decommissions the pool (re: empties it) the facility becomes property of the school board.
The current agreement between the board and city wasn't set to expire until March of 2021, but both parties agreed to terminate the agreement early due to the declining condition of the facility.
"The facility is part of the school building itself and we're working with the school board on a decommissioning of the pool itself," Flaherty said.
"Ultimately it's locking the doors, draining the pool and mothballing it," Flaherty said of the city's role in shutting it down.
A new pool is scheduled to be included in a proposed South End Community Centre, which is currently at the detailed design phase. A staff report on the progress of that project comes back before council in May.
"There will be a report in May for council's consideration," Flaherty said.
