CHESTER - Ask any given person in the municipality where they learned to swim and as often as not they'll mention the Lido pool.

 For more than 40 years the Lido pool has been the summertime centre of the village, if not the municipality.

 Built in 1967 in honour of Canada's Centennial Year, the Lido filled a much-needed niche in the community.

 "Before that all they could do is teach off the beach," said volunteer Viola Hiltz, who has run the swim program since 1969. "It was decided in 1960 we needed more space because there were more kids coming in. We were averaging about 240 kids a day, that's 1,000 a week."

 In the early years the pool was run by the Red Cross, which organized the swimming lessons at the time.

 "People don't realize," Ms Hiltz said. "We still often teach as many as 180 people a day. I remember one year we had 101 under-five year olds each day."

 The program became so successful so quickly that the village commission was asked to take it over.

 The commission ran the pool until 1978 when it was turned over to the municipality.

 Things ran smoothly until 1992 when the municipality opted not to open the pool for the summer based on some health concerns with the salt water supply.

 "Well, that turned out to be all wrong," Ms Hiltz said.

 Later that year the pool was turned back over to the commission.

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 The only glitch in the radar since then happened this past summer.

 "This year was the only year, with the weather being so bad in July, we didn't get a lot of children," Ms Hiltz said. "I found I wasn't going to have enough money to pay for my help. I ended up taking money out of my account to fund the program."

 Attendance at the pool had dropped to half the usual 180 per day.

 A swim-a-thon and some personal donations helped put the pool back in the black.

 Despite the money troubles, Ms Hiltz said there are no plans to raise the rates anytime soon.

 "I had a public health nurse once tell me to keep it affordable so everyone could use the pool," she said.

 To date, the public swims are still free for all.

 "When we first started we didn't charge much for lessons ($8 per month). We still only charge $34 dollars for 15 lessons. And free swimming with a lifeguard. And we always had money in the bank. That came from fundraising and grants and our registration, because I don't charge."

 In part it's that affordability that makes the pool so special.

 Becky Scott's two oldest children learned to swim there and she couldn't imagine the village without it.

 "How do you put a price on free swimming for kids and affordable lessons? You can't," she said.

 Ms Scott first experienced the Lido as a student at teachers college.

 She was visiting a friend who was a lifeguard at the pool.

 "I was immediately struck by the beauty," she said. "First of all, how many salt water pools are still out there? And how many have the view of the Lido?"

 And now there's a buzz surrounding the Lido unlike any since it was first built.

 The facility is undergoing a rebirth.

 The original pool house is being demolished and replaced with a new, state-of-the-art facility that will also incorporate public washrooms for the community.

 And almost 43 years after she started with the Lido, Ms Hiltz has no plans to put away her swimsuit.

 "I was giving it up two years ago," she laughed. "I love it. I love the kids. I just love teaching my kids.

 "Now I have to come back with this new building. You know, when I'm walking down the street the kids, even the ones I haven't seen in a year, will come and give me a hug. It's a good feeling."

posted on 11/10/09