The Mayor of Montreal, Valérie Plante, promised in 2017 to give a second life to the Henry William Morgan swimming pool, which has long served as a haven of freshness for many Montrealers. The future of this infrastructure, which sits in the midst of the “complex” redevelopment of the site of the former Royal Victoria Hospital, remains uncertain, however.
Located at the foot of Mount Royal and near downtown, the Henry William Morgan Pool has long been one of Montreal’s best-kept secrets. Mr. Morgan had donated it in 1961 to the staff of the Royal Victoria Hospital, of which he then chaired the board of directors. The pool had then been opened to the general public, or at least to those who knew where to find it. Surrounded by the huge parking lots of the Royal Victoria Hospital, a heritage building founded in 1893, it is hidden by the surrounding vegetation – hence its nickname.
Today, this pool, which ceased operations in 2013, is in poor condition. However, many Montrealers have fond memories of the time when this pool was still an island of freshness. They were also nearly 300, as of Saturday, to have signed an online petition to demand the restoration of this “hidden” swimming pool, as Valérie Plante had undertaken to do during the election campaign, nearly of five years.
“We went there regularly with our children,” recalled Vincent Van Dongen, one of the signatories of this petition, in an interview with the To have to Saturday. “It’s an incredibly well-located place. It was cool. It was perfect for families, and there were a lot of students here […] In the neighborhood, there is no equivalent,” he noted.
In a report published last May on the requalification of the former site of the Royal Victoria Hospital, the Office de consultation publique de Montréal had moreover said that it had noted “a keen interest” from several citizens “in favor of a reconstruction of the existing outdoor swimming pool, with water games for children and adults”. Many of them have also denounced the “flagrant lack” of infrastructure of this type in the neighboring district of Peter-McGill, at a time when there is a “prolongation of oppressive heat episodes”.
“It was really nice, because there is a lot of greenery around the pool, so it was really good on hot days to have a cool place like that,” told the To have to Patricia Kearns, who frequented this pool in the 1980s.
A “complex” project
In the office of the mayoress Valérie Plante, we assure to be aware of the desire of the population to have a swimming pool on this site. The redevelopment of the sector of the former Royal Victoria Hospital also provides for the inclusion of a “swimming pool” use, indicates the consultation report of the Office de consultation publique de Montréal (OCPM).
“Knowing that the need for community facilities of this type in Peter-McGill is significant, we are certain that we consider this element in our reflection on the future of the site with the [Société québécoise des infrastructures (SQI)] “, who is responsible for the requalification of this site, which McGill University wishes to develop in part, indicates Marikym Gaudreault, one of Ms.me Plant. However, this swimming pool is at the heart of a large-scale project which is proving to be “complex”, she recalls.
A group called kanien’kehá:ka kahntensera (Mohawk mothers) of Kahnawake notably stated during the OCPM’s public consultation that the bodies of Aboriginal children could have been buried under the former Royal Victoria Hospital, in particular near the Henry William Morgan swimming pool. According to Mohawk mothers, some Aboriginal children were buried in this area following sordid psychiatric experiments carried out between 1954 and 1963.
The SQI has also reiterated in the last few days that it does not rule out carrying out archaeological digs in this sector, as requested by the Mohawk mothers. In this context, the author of the petition for the “reopening” of the “hidden swimming pool” indicated to the To have to Saturday that she was considering removing it from the Web, given the claims of this indigenous group.
Knowing that the need for community facilities of this kind in Peter-McGill is significant, we are certainly considering this element in our reflection on the future of the site with the [Société québécoise des infrastructures (SQI)]
In an interview, the grandson of the Henry William Morgan swimming pool donor, Charles Morgan, indicated that he supports the realization of such excavations. However, he remains hopeful that these are not irreconcilable with the project to redevelop the swimming pool inaugurated by his grandfather 61 years ago.
“In the long run, I hope that once the research is done, we can proceed to the reopening of this pool,” he said in an interview. However, he understands that this project is slow to materialize, in the circumstances. “I think the pool is of secondary importance to the planning of the entire site, so it’s normal somewhere that it takes time. »
In the office of M.me Plante, we also assure that “the fight against heat islands” in the Peter-McGill district “is a priority issue for our administration”.
However, “given the value and availability of land, we are currently betting on the greening of public spaces”, rather than on a public swimming pool project in this sector, it is indicated.
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