Laurentian University opening athletic facilities, but Olympic pool stays closed

Laurentian University is set to re-open its athletic facilities in August, just in time to welcome students back to campus.

But the Jeno Tihanyi Olympic Gold Pool, the only facility in northern Ontario fit to hold competitive swimming events, will remain closed.

The school's decision has left local swim clubs fuming.

Dean Henze, coach of the Sudbury Laurentian Swim Club, said he hasn't been given a reason for the decision — either from Laurentian athletics director Peter Hellstrom, or Marie-Josée Berger, the school's vice-president.

"No explanation. [Hellstrom] didn't have one," Henze said. "He wasn't given one by his bosses."

"[Berger] couldn't say why they were not opening. They just are not doing it. Her answer was that the pool needs $10 million worth of repairs, which is not accurate."

Henze said they cited confidentiality imposed by the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act because Laurentian is restructuring after declaring insolvency on Feb. 1st. He's doubtful that the reported $10 million figure provided by Berger gives an accurate picture of the pool's condition.

"Unless things have really fallen apart in the last 15 months … it's not like the lights were falling down or the walls were crumbling."

Despite national success, the school's swim team was one of several teams cut from the slate of varsity offerings during a massive restructuring at the school. 

Henze estimates there are only 8 swimmers left out of 50. The rest have transferred to other schools. 

As for the kids in his own club program, Henze said they are training on dry land for now, but will take the city up on any offer to train in one of the municipal pools.

"We'll coach those kids as hard as we can," Henze said. "Because some of them have very lofty goals and they're very, very talented, so we've got to be creative and adapt and conquer as much as we can."

"But it will be a challenge to be competitive with the groups in southern Ontario and other places who are able to train 12 to 16 hours a week." 

In an emailed statement to CBC News, the university said "while no decision has been made at this time on the operations of the Jeno Tihanyi pool, we do not anticipate that it will be open this year."