As voting day for Crystal Pool Replacement Project rapidly approaches this Saturday, February 8th, some have come forward trying to put an end to misinformation that has been circulating.
‘Let’s Get Crystal Clear,’ a group who want voters to vote “yes” to a Crystal Pool replacement in the referendum this weekend, say that the ‘No campaign’ has been spreading “blatant misinformation.”
The ‘No campaign,’ is called ‘Vote No Victoria,’ and is led by Jack Boomer, who is Victoria Councillor Stephen Hammond’s husband.
Conversely, Councillor Hammond has gotten lawyers involved trying to put an end to the messaging the Let’s Get Crystal Clear campaign has been distributing.
Misinformation from the ‘Vote No Victoria’
The Let’s Get Crystal Clear campaign says they have taken a fact-based approach to the Crystal Pool Replacement Project referendum, and have issued a press release pointing out the ways Vote No Victoria has been misinforming voters.
“Information is being distributed by the ‘No’ campaign in leaflets dropped door-to-door, as well as online,” the group wrote in a press release.
“One example of misinformation is that the Johnson Street Bridge project was the last major capital project undertaken in Victoria. It was not.”
They added that the last major project undertaken by the City was the Johnson Street Firehall project. This project cost roughly $35 million and was completed on time and on budget during a global pandemic.
“As a result of the Bridge project, the City implemented new, more conservative budgeting principles, including the use of large contingencies and budgets for expected cost escalation,” wrote Let’s Get Crystal Clear.
“These principles were applied to the Firehall project and are now being applied to the Crystal Pool project.”
Another point that the Vote No Victoria has been spreading, which Let’s Get This Crystal Clear says is misinformation, is that the Crystal Pool facility can be “reasonably renovated.”
“The last costing exercise undertaken by the City to investigate retrofitting found that the costs were comparable to replacement,” wrote the Let’s Get Crystal Clear campaign.
They added that due to updates in building codes and environmental considerations, City staff have investigated thoroughly and determined that although technically possible, a retrofit to the facility would be more expensive than replacing it.
Vote No Victoria is also saying that this should be a regional facility. This point is being called out as misinformation on the grounds that the CRD would be unable to help finance the new pool.
“Victoria residents did not help pay for Esquimalt Rec, Oak Bay Rec, or Saanich’s facilities, and those residents aren’t expected to pay for Victoria’s,” wrote Let’s Get Crystal Clear.
Vote No Victoria has also stated that this project should be undertaken with the help of the YMCA, but the organization has made it abundantly clear to city council and the public they do not have the kind of money to support a project like the pool replacement.
According to Let’s Get Crystal Clear, Vote No Victoria is also saying that the new pool will include an Olympic-sized pool meant for competitions.
“The new facility would be designed to meet the needs of everyday Victorians, including seniors, families, those in swim clubs and swim lessons, aquafit practitioners, scuba and kayak clubs, and so on, while welcoming diverse users from across CRD,” wrote Let’s Get Crystal Clear.
“The new Crystal Pool is not meant to host international competitions, and would be designed very differently than such pools, for example Commonwealth’s Pool.”
They added that a pool meant for competition does not have a shallow end and includes 10 lanes, which is not in the current plans for the Crystal Pool replacement.
Lastly, Let’s Get Crystal Clear says that Vote No Victoria is telling Victorians that a smaller facility would suffice.
They refute this claim, saying that Crystal Pool currently operates at 22% over capacity and that staff estimate there were around 66,000 occasions in 2024 alone, where people were turned away from the pool because it was at capacity.
“All other pools in the region are also at or over capacity. It therefore makes no sense to build a smaller facility when Victoria is growing,” said Let’s Get Crystal Clear.
Let’s Get Crystal Clear says that because of all this misinformation being communicated by the Vote No Victoria, the group will be filing a complaint through Elections BC.
Councillor Stephen Hammond’s threatened lawsuit
Councillor Hammond has hired lawyers to seek a written apology for “misleading advertising” made by Let’s Get Crystal Clear.
Hammond’s lawyers say that in a brochure being distributed by the group, there is a quote from him that he does not endorse.
The councillor’s position is that he does not endorse either the ‘yes’ or ‘no’ campaigns for the Crystal Pool Replacement Project.
“As Vote Yes closely follows this referendum, it knows better,” wrote Troy DeSouza, Hammond’s lawyer.
“To underscore its culpability, Vote Yes’s brochure led with Councillor Hammond’s quote even though it has two Councillors who are publicly taking part in the Yes campaign.”
Because of this, Hammond’s lawyers say the quote is false, misleading and unethical.
Hammond’s lawyers threatened Let’s Get Crystal Clear, saying that the Local Elections Campaigns Finance Act (LECFA) can penalize false or misleading advertising with up to a maximum fine of $10,000 ($20,000 for organizations) or two years incarceration.
However, Elections BC told Victoria Buzz that this is false.
According to Elections BC, the LECFA does not regulate the content of advertising, except for requiring an authorization statement on ads. They do not establish fines or incarceration for false or misleading advertising.
Hammond’s lawyers requested a retraction and apology from Let’s Get Crystal Clear, and gave them 24 hours to publicly share the retraction.
Let’s Get Crystal Clear did not issue the retraction as requested.
However, they did commit to stop using Hammond’s quote in printed materials going forward.
Because they did not issue the retraction, Hammond’s lawyers may seek further action on this matter.
