Burlington swim club says it might have to close after it was disqualified from bidding on city contract

Justin Chandler · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 10, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: July 10

Two Burlington, Ont., swim clubs are treading h2o arsenic they hold to spot if metropolis assembly volition intervene successful a process that disqualified 1 nine from bidding connected a declaration to run successful nationalist pools. 

That nine is challenging the validity of the process and says it whitethorn beryllium forced to adjacent aft its exertion for a caller declaration was denied owed to missing documentation. Its leaders pass of antagonistic effects connected its 400 young swimmers.

The different nine — the palmy applicant — says it followed that process successful bully religion and is hopeful it volition beryllium treated reasonably and allowed the accidental it was promised. 

Members of the unsuccessful club, the Burlington Aquatic Devilrays (BAD), and the palmy Golden Horseshoe Aquatic Club (GHAC) packed assembly chambers Monday arsenic leaders delegated earlier councillors astatine the city's Committee of the Whole meeting.

Current declaration holder's exertion for caller declaration disqualified 

BAD president Kimberly Calderbank and vice-president Katie Lebel spoke astir the concern successful dire terms.

"I've delivered talks astir the satellite connected the powerfulness of athletics but I'm not definite I've ever spoken with much astatine involvement than I bash today," Lebel said. "What's astatine hazard isn't conscionable excavation time. It's community, continuity and the systems we number connected to enactment our children and what matters successful civic life."​​

She said young nine members similar her girl hazard "losing their community," and nine coaches hazard losing their jobs.

In 2020, BAD was the palmy applicant for Burlington's younker competitory aquatics contract, which expires astatine the extremity of August. The nine and metropolis hold that BAD applied for a 2025-to-2030 declaration nether the aforesaid rules. However this year, the metropolis disqualified BAD's bid due to the fact that it was missing a required component: a certificate of incorporation arsenic a non-profit oregon not-for-profit.

BAD says the metropolis asked for a "current and valid" certificate of incorporation but specified certificates are lone issued astatine incorporation. On the proposal of a Service Ontario representative, Calderbank told CBC Hamilton, they submitted a certificate of presumption and different supporting materials she says are typically accepted. She said they besides included their certificate of incorporation successful the assemblage of their submission but unit told BAD they did not reappraisal the documentation because the certificate was not submitted arsenic requested.  

The city, meanwhile, maintains that BAD did not taxable the exertion properly.

"City unit are not allowed to place missing mandatory requirements oregon let submission aft the [request for proposal] closing date," the metropolis said successful a June 30 quality merchandise aft BAD publicized its situation. "This protects the fairness of the process." 

The metropolis said BAD requested a reappraisal of the determination that confirmed it was made "according to our policies and procedures." It besides said the metropolis volition enactment with the nine to "explore options for accessing excavation clip done our regular allocation process."

Lebel said the city's process, which was introduced successful 2020, is not due for younker sports, and seems much similar something a metropolis would usage to prosecute operation contractors.

Calderbank said the nine sought a lawyer to petition a "judicial review" of the city's exertion process, successful bid to measure if it's "fair and just." She said the nine paused the process "in bully faith," portion it works with the metropolis to find excavation abstraction but volition "fight for these kiddos" if necessary. 

"The stakes are high, not conscionable for swimmers, but for Burlington and what you take to basal for," Calderbank told councillors.

Successful nine president said helium initially offered to stock space

Councillors besides heard from GHAC main operating serviceman and subordinate caput manager Cody Bradt.

He noted his nine besides applied for the metropolis declaration successful 2020 but mislaid to BAD. As a result, Bradt said, GHAC mislaid 150 swimmers and missed retired connected untold opportunities. However, helium said, the nine picked up excavation abstraction wherever it could, continued to run successful Burlington and refined its 513-page bid for the 2025 petition for proposal.

"Here we are, facing nationalist unit not due to the fact that the process was flawed, but due to the fact that the unsuccessful bidder was simply louder this time," Bradt said.

When asked his thoughts connected the city's petition for proposals process, Bradt said it differs from the exemplary successful Hamilton wherever his nine besides operates. There, helium said, aggregate clubs stock nationalist excavation space.

With that successful mind, Bradt said helium reached retired to BAD anterior to the 2025 exertion process and asked if the different nine mightiness beryllium funny successful asking the metropolis to see sharing nationalist abstraction similar they had earlier 2020. 

BAD refused, helium said, truthful GHAC went up with their application.

"It's present connected the different ft and present we are," Bradt said.

In a nationalist connection helium shared with CBC Hamilton, Bradt noted that his nine presently has astir 175 Burlington members and said GHAC has committed to the metropolis that astatine slightest 85 per cent of its swimmers astatine Burlington pools volition beryllium Burlington residents.

He besides said contempt some saying otherwise, his is not a "Hamilton club," and has been successful Burlington for implicit 20 years. Bradt added he grew up successful Burlington and lived determination for much than 20 years.

In the committee gathering Monday, Coun. Shawna Stolte (Ward 4) asked Bradt wherefore helium wants to grow into nationalist pools and origin BAD to collapse. 

Bradt refuted that characterization, saying helium doesn't privation immoderate nine to collapse. He said GHAC operated extracurricular of nationalist pools successful Burlington and wanted entree to better-equipped nationalist facilities for the payment of members. 

"The younker of Burlington are not losing their spot to swim. They're gaining a caller accidental to proceed their improvement with a antithetic enactment if they truthful choose," helium said.

Stolte besides asked Bradt if helium agrees GHAC benefited from an administrative error. 

Brad said helium doesn't know, adding "there's thing to accidental we wouldn't person won," if BAD's exertion had been considered.  

Mayor and councillors don't regularisation retired intervening

Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward asked Bradt if helium would inactive beryllium unfastened to discussing a shared-use model. He said if assembly goes successful that direction, he'd person to be, since helium wants to support operating successful the city. 

Calderbank and Lebel told councillors they're losing members regular and can't perpetrate to important upcoming aquatics meets. They said BAD was looking astatine each options for excavation space, including backstage schools and condo pools. 

Councillors did not accidental what, if any, enactment they volition instrumentality regarding BAD's concerns. 

Committee members met privately Monday to sermon a "confidential ineligible study connected imaginable litigation for aquatics procurement." Afterwards, they voted to nonstop Burlington's commissioner of ineligible and legislative services and metropolis solicitor to travel confidential instructions and study back. 

Meed Ward posted connected X Tuesday, thanking residents for coming to assembly to stock their experiences.

"We volition update the assemblage erstwhile determination is much to share," she said. 

At 9 a.m. connected Thursday, assembly is acceptable to person updates from staff, successful a confidential peculiar meeting.