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The Old Swimming Hole Gives Way to the Pool

Many residents of Wolfville, especially the boys, enjoyed swimming in the harbour when the tide was high or in nearby rivers or lakes. Families and groups of friends journeyed to Evangeline Beach or one of the other nearby beaches on the Minas Basin for swimming. Swimming as a competitive sport did not begin until 1921 when the Memorial Gymnasium was opened on the Acadia campus. There, the 40 yard pool, said to the best east of Montreal, became the focal point for training, competitions and exhibitions of swimming as well as recreational swimming for students and town alike. Swimming was one sport that women and men were involved in intercollegiate competitions from the start. Acadia swimmers competed against teams from other Maritime colleges and against swim clubs from Halifax. There were annual interclass competitions; in 1928 the sophomore women were the class of the field in the interclass meet. Both Horton and Wolfville School used the pool to train its swimmers and Acadia University hosted interscholastic meets there. In 1934 Horton placed second and Wolfville placed third in a meet held at the pool. Towns people turned out to cheer for the home team and to enjoy the water pageants put on by the students.

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