Successful votes in Areas F and I will finally do away with a twotier rate system at the Cowichan Aquatic Centre.
"I was pretty excited about the results," said Area F director Ian Morrison.
Cowichan Lake South/Skutz Falls and Youbou/Meade Creek were the last two areas in the Cowichan Valley Regional District that did not have an agreement to contribute to the pool facility, so residents were paying a higher individual rate to use the centre.
On Nov. 15 referenda in both areas were successful and the twotier system will now be dropped. In Area F the vote was 125 in favour to 85 opposed, while in area I the numbers were 104 in favour to 84 opposed.
This will provide fair access to residents who want to use the pool, Morrison said. He thinks a referendum was the best way to come to a decision, because even those who voted "no" did get a chance to voice their opinion at the ballot box.
Klaus Kuhn said he'd heard from his constituents that a significant number of them were interested in gaining equal access to the pool.
"I kind of expected the votes the way they came out," he said.
Morrison said he thinks the access to the pool is important for the community because it's part of pursuing a healthy lifestyle.
"While we have a few very brave souls that use the lake early and late in the season, for the most part access to the Aquatic Centre will bring greater health and wellness benefits," he said.
"There are quite a few people that go, especially in the winter," Kuhn agreed.