The therapeutic pool at the Collingwood Fitness Centre could soon be drained.

Counc. Tim McNabb said, in the next couple of weeks as the leisure services department master plan is up for discussion, he will present a motion to close the municipal facility, located on 125 Napier St.

Four of nine council members, including the mayor, appear ready to pull the plug. Councillors Ian Chadwick, Norman Sandberg and Mike Edwards said this week they want the doors to stay open.

Councillor Kathy Jeffery and Deputy Mayor Sandra Cooper, who represent the deciding votes, told the Connection they haven't yet made a decision.

The facility has been a topic of discussion over the past year, largely because of the deterioration of the building and the high cost in operating the service.

But there could be a solution right around the corner. At Monday's meeting, Deputy Mayor Sandra Cooper mentioned that Raglan Village, a new adult retirement community in Collingwood, has a therapeutic salt-water pool for use by its residents.

Darlene Faulkner, director of marketing and resident services for the company, said she has not talked to the municipality about a partnership, but says she would be all ears.

Director of leisure services Peter Dunbar said the town has made very few improvements to the Collingwood Fitness Centre building in the last two decades.

According to the budget, the centre, which houses the only therapeutic pool in the area, lost about $193,000 in 2007 with revenues totaling $56,000.

The centre is projected to have 2008 revenues of $50,000 and expenses of $257,000, for an estimated loss of $189,000.

According to budget documents, membership revenue was about $45,000 and included 45 one-month memberships, six three-month memberships, eight three-month seniors memberships, seven six-month memberships, five six-month seniors memberships, 15 one-year memberships and 25 one-year seniors memberships.

The centre also handed out 832 guest passes.

Collingwood resident Dave Sparling has been a member at the centre since 2003.

Sparling says he uses the exercise equipment and the pool, but says the reason why he is a member is because of the social aspect that the centre provides.

"We meet these guys here. I talked to a guy, I haven't seen since the mid-60s," he said. "You can't put a price on that."

Sparling has heard the talk about closing the centre down and says while councillors discuss how much it costs to run, he said they haven't made any improvements during his time as a member.

"I was disappointed to hear they are thinking of scrapping it," he said. "I'd be really annoyed (if they closed the centre)."

Counc. Ian Chadwick said the reluctance of some councillors to close the centre is because of its therapeutic pool.

In addition to the therapeutic pool, whirlpool, sauna and weight room, the centre offers aqua-fit classes and water walking classes in the pool.

The Collingwood YMCA offers similar programs including a water-walking program, a water aerobics session and a masters swim club.

McNabb says it's not fiscally responsible to keep the centre open. He feels in order to be viable, the centre would have to increase its membership five-fold.

McNabb said he would like to see the town put the money it was spending on the pool and put it into a reserve for a future facility.

"Is it worth $200,000 a year for a therapeutic pool?" he said. "If we ran the rest of the town like that, we'd be out of business."

Treasurer Marjory Leonard said it would take about three months to close the centre.

Counc. Kathy Jeffery said that the majority of the cost of running the facility, about $157,000, goes to salaries.

Chadwick, Sandberg and Edwards said they won't support closing the centre unless a new facility is in place.

When asked where he stands on the issue, Sandberg said, "Probably chained to the door."