Just when it seemed the Coast's endless recreation saga was finally approaching a decision, a new proposed location for a Sechelt swimming pool has popped up.
School District 46's offer to provide land at Chatelech Secondary School was no doubt made in good faith, and that location is attractive in many ways. An on-site pool would be a great asset for the high school students, and the school's new gym, weight room and other amenities would add to the pool's usefulness.
But consider the history of the recreation debate. The question of where to build new recreation facilities has always been a political can of worms, pitting communities and recreation groups against one another. Re-opening that question could derail the momentum towards a regional recreation referendum, which had seemed to be a possibility for 2005.
The progress on the proposed Sechelt pool and Gibsons arena/community centre is already glacially slow. The Coast's various elected officials have met twice this year in marathon, day-long workshops on recreation and still have unresolved issues they need to discuss.
Sechelt Indian Band councillor Stan Dixon, who always has a colourful way with words, summed up the frustration of many observers when he remarked, "We're not building the pyramids of Egypt here."
Indeed, considering that the debate over building a rec centre dates back more than a quarter-century, building a pyramid might have been faster.
Yes, the idea of putting the Sechelt pool at Chatelech is worth looking into. So is the idea of building it on Sechelt Indian Band lands, another proposal which was raised last week. But please, let's not delay the already much-delayed recreation referendum over this issue.
As the SCRD has discovered with its office renovation budget, time truly is money when it comes to building construction.
