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36 Sp Sports SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2011 Dolphins Swim Club could see pool access revoked By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Oakville's Dolphins may be beached for the next couple of years. The Town's Community Services Committee voted Wednesday to support a Town staff position that the Dolphins Swim Club is no longer qualified to be part of the Town's Community Organizations in Recreation and Education (CORE) program. The unanimous decision, which will come before council longer meets the criteria of CORE." for final approval Monday, is significant as the CORE proMembers of the club, however, disagreed with Town staff's gram allows groups and organizations to enter into an affili- assessment with around 40 members and supporters packing ation with the Town where they receive preferred rates and the council chamber on Wednesday. priority status for facility access. Many team members attended the meeting, sporting their The club's 90 members fear the loss of their CORE status Dolphins Swim Club jackets. will lead to a drastic reduction in the amount of pool time Dolphins Swim Club parent Nota Klentrou said the club available to them as the current demand for pool time in is no longer satisfied with the agreement, which was signed Oakville far exceeds what is available. with Swim Ontario, and is disputing it. The loss of the CORE status stems from a disciplinary As such, the Town should reserve judgment until the disprocedure initiated earlier this year against the Dolphins pute is settled, she said. Swim Club by Swim Ontario for alleged involvement with an Klentrou also disputed Town staff's claim that the club is instructor banned by both Swim Ontario not in `good standing' with Swim and Swim Canada. Ontario. "The CORE application form The Dolphins Swim Club entered into a "The staff members have been advised requires... you are a member settlement agreement with Swim Ontario, in the past there is no such thing as `good which resulted in the club being placed on in `good standing' with the standing' with Swim Ontario," said probation and suspended for the 2011- provincial sport organization. Klentrou. 2012 swimming season. "You are either a member or you are Staff has taken the position The probation periods run from Sept. 1, the Dolphins Swim Club no not." 2011 to Dec. 31, 2011 and June 1, 2012 to Jeff Dixon, who is on the Dolphins longer meets the criteria of Aug. 31, 2012, while the suspension is in Swim Club's board of directors, also quesCORE." place from Jan. 1, 2012 to May 31, 2012. tioned staff's opinion that the club is not in In a report prepared for the committee, `good standing' with Swim Canada. Dixon Town Director of Recreation and Culture Nina de Vaal, Oakville Director of noted the club had numerous athletes, Nina de Vaal stated this incident makes the Recreation and Culture including Dixon's own daughter, who Dolphins Swim Club ineligible for CORE swam for Swim Ontario during recent status at this time. summer competitions. "The CORE application form requires, among other "These same people are swimming at the Canada Cup in things, that a group applying for CORE sport membership November in Etobicoke, which is one of the premier meets in status submit a letter stating you are a member in `good Canada, run by Swim Canada," said Dixon. standing' with the provincial sport organization," said de "It's very hard for you to make that link that we are not in Vaal. `good standing' because we are training and competing." "Staff has taken the position p the Dolphins p Swim Club no Deepak p Paradkar, , a club p parent and lawyer y involved in the negotiation of the Dolphins Swim Club's settlement with Swim Ontario, said the club is disputing the agreement because it was initially understood the club's swimmers and coaches would still be able to compete independently. It has turned out, he said, this is not the case. When asked by Ward 6 Town and Regional Councillor Tom Adams if any other parts of the Swim Ontario settlement were being disputed, Paradkar said this was not the case. Some parents who addressed the committee said the club should not lose its pool time because of the great work it does with children, while others suggested the awards the club and its swimmers have won should be taken into account. Others said removing the CORE status would destroy the club and force local swimmers to seek memberships at swim clubs outside Oakville as other local swim clubs are full. Dolphins swimmer Larissa Ruiz said the children on the team are being punished for something they had no hand in. "These kids are there because they want to train, they are there because they want to do well, they want to better themselves and not only for themselves, but for the team," she said. "I don't feel it's right to have eight- or nine-(year-old) or even some of our 17- or 18-year-old children paying for a two-person debate that is happening, unfortunately, with our governing body and one of our staff members." Unclear who banned instructor is No one who spoke Wednesday disputed the allegation that the club had been involved with an instructor banned by Swim Ontario and Swim Canada. It remains unclear who that banned instructor is. But, four years ago, several complaints were launched over Cecil Russell's continuing involvement with the club after his lifetime ban was reinstated. Russell, once convicted of involvement in two lucrative drug rings and having formerly testified to helping burn a murder victim's body in a silo beside his home, was seen by the Toronto Star r coaching the Dolphins at a practice in Burlington in 2007. Russell's lawyer at the time, Gary Boyd, told the Star r that Russell was exercising his right to work as a personal trainer and was not "coaching" the kids in the Dolphins Swim Club. See CORE, page 43 DUNDAS NOW OPEN! 5K RUNNING LEARN TO RUN 10K RUNNING October 17 October 17 October 18 FOR WOMEN ONLY L W LKING (FITNESS) WA HALF MARATHON October 22 October 22 November 15 adiSTAR Salvation 3 Men's and Women's John Stanton, founder of the Running Room, would like to welcome you to our new Dundas location.We're looking forward to being part of the community! Come and join us for our FREE weekly run club Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. & Sunday at 8:30 a.m. All fitness levels welcome! 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