NORTH CANTON, Ohio — For generations of families in North Canton, summer hasn’t officially started until Dogwood Pool opens its gates.
The popular city pool is set to open for the season this Memorial Day weekend, weather permitting, giving families a chance to kick off summer traditions once again.
Dogwood Pool has been a summertime staple in North Canton since 1971 and remains one of the few city-operated pools still serving communities in the area.
The massive pool continues to attract visitors from both North Canton and the surrounding communities. Along with the main swimming area, the facility also features a splash pad designed for younger children.
City officials say the goal is to keep the pool operating for years to come, but maintaining the aging facility has become increasingly expensive.
“Since 2016 we have purchased a liner to go in our pool and we have had concerns with the liner. We've had to have many repairs,” said Catherine Farina-Molnar, Director of Administration for the City of North Canton.
Officials say ongoing repairs to the pool liner have created concerns about long-term maintenance costs for taxpayers.
“Going forward there is a concern on the cost of the maintenance of this pool,” Farina-Molnar said. “Pools are wonderful to operate, but they are expensive to operate and that's a large expense for the taxpayers of the city.”
City leaders say unexpected repairs remain one of the biggest challenges moving forward.
“We never know if anything is going to go out, what costly repairs there will be, and then we'll have to find a way to continue to keep it operating,” Farina-Molnar said. “It's the goal, but it will all come down to what's the ongoing maintenance and operations.”
Farina-Molnar noted that many cities have moved away from operating public pools due to the high costs of maintenance and staffing.
“Not a lot of cities have pools today,” she said. “The municipal pools were a thing that more cities had in the past, less have today. We still have it, we enjoy it. We know a lot of people come from outside of our community to enjoy this nice community asset we have.”
Despite concerns about future costs, city officials say Dogwood Pool is expected to remain open throughout the summer season.
Families planning to visit this weekend are encouraged to keep an eye on the forecast, as opening plans remain weather-dependent.
