It was a chance to make one last memory at one of Fredericton’s most popular summer spots.
“It’s sad because it’s always been here,” said resident Michelle Munn.
After Friday, the taps will be turned off for good at the Wilmot Park Wading Pool.
Many generations came to the pool for its last day.
“As a child I used to come to this pool,” said resident Cheryl Hay. “I brought my own children to this pool, and now I'm here with my child and her children, so it’s three generations old for me.”
The Wading Pool has been a part of Fredericton for nearly 125 years. It’s where families have come to cool down, splash around, and learn how to swim.
“I used to come here with the [YMCA],” says pool attendee Johanna Delong. “I used to go swimming and was so excited to go swimming here because it gets deeper in the middle.”
The pool received significant upgrades in the 1960s, but city councillor John MacDermid says leaks and cracks in the pool over time have made it difficult to keep operating.
“There was a chance we couldn’t open it last year,” he said. “It wasn’t holding water. Did some fixes and recognized it was the end of its lifespan.”
The Wading Pool will be replaced with a new splash pad which should be running next year.
“It’s going to have water jets, fountains and a random bucket drop where water gets tossed on kids,” said MacDermid.
Some residents are welcoming the change.
“I’m looking forward to the change. I think the splash pads in Oromocto are really fun, so I think it will do very well,” said pool attendee Rachel Lively.
But the Wading Pool certainly has its supporters.
“It's sort of heartbreaking to see it go,” said Hay. “It's been a landmark in Fredericton since I was a child.”
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Nick Moore.
