INNISFAIL – The 38-year-old Innisfail Aquatic Centre is now closed for construction to make room for a $14.9 modernization project but not before a wild and heated social media ride last week by concerned citizens over the new facility’s universal change room policy.
The Town of Innisfail hosted a well-attended farewell fun swim and a barbecue for the public at the aging facility during the afternoon of July 6.
A handful of objectors to the new policy showed up and were met by Todd Becker, the town’s chief administrative officer, along with mayor Jean Barclay and Coun. Dale Dunham.
The half-hour conversation near the main celebration area was civil, with few event attendees even noticing.
Construction began as scheduled on July 7 with the municipality moving forward with its universal change room policy.
Online protest
Many in the town are still on edge over the sudden social media storm that began last week, and escalating with an online petition against the new policy.
The Change.org petition was created by Emily Mburugu, a married 37-year-old lifelong Innisfailian with three children, who met with the Albertan last week with a petition print out calling for the Town of Innisfail to reconsider the universal change room plan.
Armed with more than 1,400 signatures, the petition is calling for the municipality to redesign the change room area with a three-change room solution; one solely for females, a separate one for males and a third universal/family change room.
Mburugu emphasized that she, along with many others, are not opposed to a universal change room concept but want the choice of separate ones for men and women.
“When you go on the petition and see people commenting, or when they're sharing it on Facebook, they're all saying, ‘100 per cent we need this in our community but you can't take away the two other options.”
She told the Albertan last week that many Innisfailians did not “hear anything” about a universal-only change room plan for the modernized aquatic centre until an Innisfail Dolphins swim meet on June 28.
Mburugu, whose family members have been members of the Dolphins swim club for many years, said the town’s final decision came despite a past public survey that showed 73 per cent of respondents indicated a preference for keeping all three options; male, female, and universal.
“That doesn't work for people who have post traumatic stresses or body dysmorphia, or people of religious beliefs,” said Mburugu. “Or how does that work for the schools to go in, and now all of a sudden (they) have 30 kids plus trying to get changed in 10 change rooms?
“There's going to be 10 change rooms; one accessible, one family,” she said, adding she received blueprints of the town’s final change room plan. “That amount is not enough for a big family, busy swim (and), yes protocol is that nobody changes in the open.
“But we know young kids are not going to be standing patiently waiting in line to get into a change room.”
Town response
Municipal officials have a much different take on its public engagement with the now controversial issue, and it began with public statements from Meghan Jenkins, the town’s director of community services, at town council’s regular meeting on April 14 when elected members gave the green light to proceed with the modernization plan.
Jenkins told council the modernized aquatic centre would be moving to “fully” universal change rooms that are barrier-free.
“The current change rooms we have in the facility do not meet current code with respect to accessibility, and there isn't sufficient space within the facility to accommodate those requirements and be able to have a universal or family change room and the two gendered washrooms,” Jenkins told council. “We have elected to go with a 100 per cent universal change room.
“Essentially, what that means is everyone is changing in the change rooms,” she added. “There are individual, private change stalls for every individual, and that allows us to meet all of the barrier free requirements.”
Jenkins noted the concept is supported by staff to address challenges, such as bullying, theft and vandalism.
The town has since posted the full modernization plan, including the controversial change room issue, on its dedicated online page at involve.innisfail.ca.
Budget and space
The Albertan met with Jenkins, along with Becker and Barclay, at the town’s administration office on July 4.
They pointed the survey result showing a 73 per cent public preference of three options was conducted in 2021 from a previous architect and well before the town chose to drop a $30 million multiplex plan beside the Innisfail Twin Arena and before moving to the $14.9 million modernization option.
Following council’s decision last fall for the modernization project it was determined in the first quarter of 2025 that due to costs and lack of space within the facility’s footprint a three-change room solution was not feasible.
“It was the building experts and design experts that are saying, ‘you cannot have all three,” noted Barclay. “At that point, it was ‘what do we do? We have this budget and we don't have any more money because we're not getting money elsewhere.
“You had to expand the footprint to accommodate all three but we can't.”
Jenkins and Becker were unable to say how much it would cost to expand the facility but the latter did say it would be “significant.”
The municipality has not received any meaningful financial support from the provincial government for the new build and is now relying on a federal Green and Inclusive Community Building grant application that could bring in close to $6 million to offset the project’s total cost.
The town has also saved $2.8 million in its Facility Reserve and is hoping for a contribution from Red Deer County.
In the meantime, the project will be funded through a line of credit and debenture.
As for the layout of the planned 100 per cent universal change room, there will be 17 change rooms and eight washrooms, all enclosed.
The existing layout has six change stalls, four for women, and two for men. There are also six washrooms, five for women and one for men.
“There's no one being in any state of undress in the common area. Everyone is changing behind the closed doors of a change room or washroom area,” said Jenkins of the new layout, adding there will be signage and diligent monitoring by both male and female staff. “Anyone, when they are changing, needs to be behind a closed door, whether that's in a washroom space or in one of the change rooms or shower stalls.”
Becker said the town and council is taking public concerns “seriously”, and will continue to engage the public, and respond to any questions that come forward over the nine months of construction.
“There's been efforts to engage the public in different components of this project, and now's the time to educate,” said Becker. “We'll keep adding accurate information as required. We'll just monitor.
"We want to make sure the public receives the accurate information that they desire.”
