Dolphins l h Club l b not CORE, f for now By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF A last-ditch effort by Dolphins Swim Club supporters to maintain the group's municipal pool time sank Monday at council. A unanimous council supported a Town staff call that the club no longer qualifies to be part of the Town's Community Organization in Recreation and Education (CORE) program. That is significant as the CORE program allows groups and organizations to enter into an affiliation with the Town where they receive preferred rates and priority status for facility access. Swim club members said Monday the loss of the CORE status has already resulted in drastically reduced swim times for club members at Town pools. The loss of the CORE status stems from a disciplinary procedure initiated earlier this year against the Dolphins Swim Club by Swim Ontario for alleged involvement with an instructor banned by both Swim Ontario and Swim Canada. The Dolphins Swim Club has entered into an agreement with Swim Ontario, which will result in the club being on probation and suspended for the 2011-2012 swimming season. Town staff said because the club is not in good standing with Swim Ontario, it no longer qualifies for CORE status. On Monday, a handful of Dolphins supporters attempted to contest this position stating 13 · Wednesday, October 19, 2011 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com that in the interests of fairness they should be allowed to keep their CORE status or at least still be allotted significant pool time. "I am angry that my child has been denied the equal rights to get training at Oakville pools since September 2011," said Yaohong Ye, Dolphins Swim Club parent. "The people around the world, especially in Afghanistan and other people Canadians fight for, I bet could not imagine that while Canada advocates human rights around the world, here at home in Oakville, in a democratic society, Canadian children have been denied their equal rights." Nota Klentrou also cautioned council in its vote stating a vote to revoke the Dolphins' CORE status would hurt no one but the children who, she said, are struggling to get pool time so they can properly compete for Oakville. Maura Smith said she did not understand the situation. "There are two competitive swim clubs in Oakville. My husband and I have been long-standing taxpayers to Oakville so I don't understand, with those simple facts, why my daughter is currently not able to practice and swim at the Oakville pools because she is a member of one of those swim clubs," said Smith. "If someone could just very "You are part of a club and the club has gotten itself into a situation where it needs to take certain actions in order to cure itself of its problem. The club has been remarkably reluctant to deal with its issues, so my advice to the club is, you know what you need to do. Get busy and do it and you will be fine." Mayor Rob Burton clearly answer that question I would really appreciate it." "You are part of a club and the club has gotten itself into a situation where it needs to take certain actions in order to cure itself of its problem. The club has been remarkably reluctant to deal with its issues so my advice to the club is `you know what you need to do. Get busy and do it and you will be fine,'" said Oakville Mayor Rob Burton. "We have swimming time available to individuals and you are still eligible for that. This matter concerns the club." Smith said reducing pool time for one club and not the other appeared to show favouritism. Town staff said the Dolphins Swim Club will be able to reapply for CORE status when the disciplinary period imposed on it by Swim Ontario is over.