Now, I have not seen the proposed plans, but from what I have heard it sounds very similar to plans for facilities in Europe that I had seen at a conference a few years ago.

Some of the objections I have heard people cite about the Queen Elizabeth Pool are legitimate concerns, if the design is not done properly. If done properly these issues would not exist.

Based on what I saw for a design of a universal change room, I felt that it would be a very efficient design. I encouraged one of my former employers to seriously consider this design for a pool change room.

The way this concept was laid out, you would pay then go into a change stall that had doors on both sides. If one door opened, the other door would automatically open.

You would change, then take your clothes and place them in a locker. The locker area was designed in such a way that it was open to the pool deck area. This would allow the lifeguards, and the swimmers to be able to look into the locker area from the pool deck. It would significantly reduce, if not eliminate, theft from lockers.

On the sides of the large pool change room you would have showers and segregated toilets.

Some of the concerns that I have heard voiced include: how long you would be waiting in such a change room?

Many of us have been in family change rooms where things move rather slowly, part of this is due to the fact that the original family change room design included a shower and change area all in one room.

By having a separate shower area and dry change areas, you will speed people up in the change areas (similar to the dry change stalls in a segregated change room).

Another concern that I have heard is that of people doing inappropriate things in such a change room.

With the entire change room being open to the pool deck it will actually discourage this kind of behaviour even more so than in segregated change rooms. For those concerned with what goes on inside the stalls, if the stalls are designed as stalls with a 30-45cm gap near the floor, rather than rooms, this will not be an issue.

I feel that the children will actually be much safer in this style change room than a segregated one.

Another concern that I have heard is about pool staffing and how this style design would ultimately increase staffing levels. I do not agree with this.

If it is designed as mentioned above, I feel that staffing levels could remain as they are, with the added benefit that it would not matter what gender your staff are. They would all be able to clean the change room, which is always an issue in aquatic facilities.

Provided there are an adequate number of change stalls at the Queen E Pool, there should be no issues with excessive wait times.

I’ve worked in the pool industry for quite a while, having been a lifeguard since 1991. I have worked at various facilities across western Canada and continue to work at aquatic facilities, not only as a lifeguard, but also as a supervisor.

Crystal Saffel

Some Edmonton residents are up in arms because they have the impression that the changerooms will be unisex or co-ed. I’m sure they have visions of child predators, orgies and both sexes being naked in the same room together. Umm, no. This isn’t Rome 2,000 years ago, you twits.

Though I haven’t seen the plans, I understand that what is planned is actually a family-style change area where you change in private cubicles. Anyone ever been to a family changeroom? You’ll understand that you’re not getting undressed in front of everyone.

It’s a common changeroom (family-style), not unisex or co-ed. Get it straight.

When my children were smaller, I definitely preferred this arrangement. I didn’t want to send my daughter alone at 6 years old into the women’s changeroom, and I can understand women not wanting to send their young sons into the men’s changeroom alone.

I’ve heard some good points raised about why this arrangement is safer and preferable. With more and more people in wheel chairs and with disabilities, opposite sex care staff can enter the change area and go into a private change stall with the person they’re helping. It also allows lifeguards of both sexes to be able to monitor and clean changerooms more easily.

It’s also safer for children because they can stay with their parents when getting changed. I wouldn’t want to send my son into the men’s changeroom alone when he was younger, and the same goes for my daughter.

My wife and I used family changerooms at a variety of pools when our children were younger and never had any issues. My wife’s been a lifeguard for about 20 years and has worked at variety of pools in Western Canada. She’s in favour of this idea and says that there will be fewer problems and it will be safer for everyone. I’ll favour her opinion more than the uneducated ones I’ve read.

So now Edmonton’s Queen E pool might be held up because the Queen E pool society wants to withhold $300,000 it’s raised. I would suggest they educate themselves before they make decisions like that.< >< >< ><–>