There’s now over half-a-million reasons for a swimming pool in Renfrew.
Leo Hall is the President of the Ma-te-Way Aquatic Centre Development Project, a citizen-led incorporated non-profit looking to work with the town on bringing a pool to the Town of Renfrew.
He says a donation of over $330,000 to Renfrew by the estate of Janet Wilson should have people excited.
The town received the money earlier this year from the executor of Wilson’s estate, but the dollar figure had been kept under wraps until last week due to legal concerns.
MACD Treasurer Max Buxton adds that the sheer size of the donation proves that there has been a desire to build an aquatics facility in town for quite a while.
Janet Wilson was longtime Renfrew resident, having worked as a teacher and Vice Principal at Renfrew Collegiate Institute. Hall tells myFM that she was also a significant part of previous attempts to bring a pool to Renfrew.
Wilson passed away recently, but Hall notes she served as chair for their group’s predecessor and was a civilian member of the town’s recreation committee.
Her contribution, which is worth over $330,000, is now in the town’s hands. Meanwhile, the MACD is watching over the Ruth Burwell Fund, which itself has just over $170,000.
Together with a small fund that the Town of Renfrew had been holding since previous swimming pool plans were put on hold, there’s is now over $500,000 in funds available for an aquatics facility.
(written by Kasey Egan)
