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Verdun’s historic Natatorium swimming pavilion is slated for demolition. The city of Montreal has recommended the building be taken down because of major structural problems, according to a La Presse report.
Verdun mayor Marie-Andrée Mauger is expected to announce the news at a public meeting on Tuesday, where she is scheduled to reveal an action plan for the complex.
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Constructed at the same time as the Verdun Auditorium, the Natatorium was inaugurated on July 12, 1940, and was Canada’s largest outdoor swimming pool until Jean-Drapeau Park and its aquatic complex were built.
The city of Montreal began renovations to the art deco building in 2017 to make it accessible to people with reduced mobility. Soon after the work started, major fissures were discovered in the concrete structure, notably in the changing rooms and the ceiling of the main area, according to La Presse. Supports were installed, and the building has been closed since.
In an interview with La Presse, Verdun mayor Marie-Andrée Mauger did not confirm that the building will be destroyed.
“I would say that there are a few difficult files in Verdun, and that is one of them,” she said.
Tuesday’s meeting is highly anticipated, the mayor said, noting that citizens are very attached to the Natatorium, and have been wondering for several years what’s happening with the swimming pavilion.
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