With the approval to conduct a feasibility study, the Public Entity Saba has taken the next step in exploring the possibilities to construct a public swimming pool on Saba.
The Executive Council last month approved a proposal to contract the company Alite BV to conduct a feasibility study for a swimming pool on Saba. The feasibility study will commence in January 2023 and conclude in March 2023. The study will be funded by the Ministry of Public Health, Wellbeing and Sport (VWS).
Having a public swimming pool has long been a desire of the Public Entity Saba. The advantages of a swimming pool are many: it enables people to live a healthy lifestyle, it provides a source of rehabilitative care for injured persons, and it allows people to develop strong swimming skills enhancing their personal safety.
Considering the investment required to build a swimming pool, a comprehensive feasibility study is necessary to evaluate if a pool is realistic for Saba and if so, to determine the best characteristics for a pool on the island.
A small working group of the Public Entity Saba has looked at the proposal that it received from Alite BV, a consultant company which is familiar with Saba through its involvement in the school projects and which has experience with public swimming pools in St. Maarten. The working group had several meetings with Alite BV and it was concluded that the company was a good candidate to determine the feasibility of a pool on Saba.
Commissioner of Public Health and Sports Rolando Wilson welcomed the decision to have a feasibility study conducted. He noted that a swimming pool was listed in the 2022-2025 Sports Policy as one of the facilities that would benefit the further development of physical activity and sports on Saba.
“A swimming pool does not only fit in our efforts to promote a healthy lifestyle and to get the community engaged in physical exercise, but the ability to swim is also a necessary skill for safety, especially when living on an island. Having a swimming pool would also enable us to incorporate swimming lessons into school curriculum so every child learns to swim,” Wilson stated.