Chilliwack-Kent MLA Kelli Paddon told The Observer she is actively working with the Harrison Hot Springs Resort and Spa on reopening the Harrison Hot Springs Public Mineral Pool.
The hot spring-fueled pool has been closed for the bulk of the past two years during the pandemic. Harrison Resort management announced the pool’s reopening in May, but it was quickly shut back down due to a lack of certified lifeguards. There were plans to reopen the pool on a seven-day-per-week basis eventually, and that ultimate goal has not changed, according to management.
Paddon acknowledges that the tourism sector – which makes up a significant portion of Harrison’s economy – has particularly experienced extraordinary challenges due to COVID-19.
RELATED: Lack of lifeguards shuts down Harrison public mineral pool again
“While tourism is picking up again, it is important note that much of these challenges persist,” Paddon stated. “This is especially true when it comes to the labour shortage that is affecting all sectors.”
Paddon said she looks forward to meeting with community members in the coming weeks to discuss the issue and ways to support the pool more in-depth.
“I fully understand the importance of having access to the hot springs for members of the community and for Harrison’s overall tourism industry,” Paddon added. “At the end of the day, we are all working towards the same goal of having the public pool open again.”
RELATED: Putting the Hot Springs back in Harrison: residents fight for public pool access
Paddon’s response to The Observer did not mention resident concerns surrounding the water licence to the hot springs. Harrison Resort’s parent company has exclusive rights to the water under a conditional water licence; this licence expires in 2037. A portion of the license reads that the “flow of water shall be made available to the public at all times between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. every day, at a point to which the public is entitled to free access or to which the licensee grants free public access.” Based on this paragraph, some residents believe the pool’s extended closure contradicts the conditions on which the water license was issued.
Earlier this month, Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon MP Brad Vis met with a group of residents to discuss a variety of issues. Though municipal and provincial issues aren’t explicitly part of his scope of work, Vis did listen to a number of concerns about the pool’s reopening as it dominated much of the informal meeting.
The reopening of the mineral pool has not been the subject of any recent village council meeting nor has there been a public delegation to speak about it at the meetings.
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