Annapolis Royal goes an extra lap in funding drive to fix outdoor pool
Due to tight budgets and aging infrastructure, outdoor community pools are going the way of drive-in movies. As municipalities across the country close pools that have outlived their lifespans by sometimes 40 years, there is a notable exception in Annapolis Royal, N.S.
“Everyone here bought in to the idea of supporting the pool,” says Anna Kate Newman, treasurer of the Friends of the Annapolis Pool Society (FAPS), a volunteer board that raised almost $400,000 in seven months to replace the pool’s leaking liner and make other repairs.
Leading the way for fundraising
The first donation came from a small family foundation created by Peter and Jane Nicholson. “It’s good to start things off when it comes to fund raising,” says Jane, an entrepreneur who established a private economic development and investment firm that created more than 200 jobs in Annapolis Royal and Annapolis County. “Neither Peter nor I are great swimmers, but we want to keep the town going and the pool is a wonderful asset for people of all ages.”
Preserving a community asset was also the driving factor for Erin and John Welch, owners of Sissiboo Coffee Roaster in nearby Bear River. “Things are always disappearing from small towns around here,” says Erin. “We have already lost playgrounds, the YMCA, and local grocery stores. This was another thing we could lose and the thought of it was heartbreaking. We live rurally and have teenaged kids. For our family and so many others, the pool is the hub of summer life.”
As of February 2025, Sissiboo Coffee Roaster has raised $3624.50 for the pool by donating $5.50 from the sale of each $20 bag of The Deep End – a coffee blend created specifically for this cause. Contributions have also rolled in from other local businesses, as well as granting organizations, the Province, the Municipality of the County of Annapolis, and the Town of Annapolis Royal. Thanks to such widespread generosity, the Friends of the Annapolis Pool Society surpassed its fund raising target by close to $100,000.
A continuing need for support
“The Pool has reached its goal for the original quote to fix the liner, but with any renovation there will be unforeseen costs,” says Erin Welch. “Sissiboo Coffee Roaster is continuing to fundraise for the pool to help cover possible overages, as well as contributing to a legacy fund for the next liner and running costs for the 2025 season.”
According to Newman, the additional money will help achieve the goal of removing barriers to using the pool. “When we had to charge $5 admission for the local swims, there were only a few kids in the pool,” she says. “Now that it’s free, we have a pool full of children enjoying safe recreation.”
Like (ACOSS), the volunteer non-profit group that manages the new Bridgetown Regional Outdoor Sport Hub Park, the Friends of the Annapolis Pool Society has a lease agreement to operate and maintain this resource. During COVID, pool staff had to keep a list of users and their contact information. The silver lining in this record-keeping chore was that staff assembled a snapshot of the number of people who had used the pool and where they came from — critical data when it came to making a case to potential funders for costly repairs.
“It helped us get our ducks in a row,” says FAPS chairperson Lesley Hodder.
For the only community pool in an area surrounded by water, lining up ducks seems a strangely appropriate metaphor.
How to save an aging outdoor community pool
• Collect data on pool usage and know whom you serve
• Highlight the importance of offerings beyond public swims, such as swimming lessons, lifeguard training, fitness lane swimming, aquafit and youth employment
• Ask for personal stories about the importance of the pool and share them broadly
• Include a link for donating with every story
• Establish a legacy fund to prepare for the next round of repairs
In 2023, there were more than 9,000 unique uses of the Annapolis Royal pool, including 348 swimming lessons, most of which were provided free of charge. The majority of users are residents of Annapolis County, residents of Annapolis Royal and visitors to the area. The pool closed for repairs in the summer of 2024, but will open again in 2025. For more information on pool programming, contact the Friends of the Annapolis Pool Society.
For more information, contact Friends of Annapolis Pool Society
www.annapolispool.org
