About us
The Valleycrest Swimming Club
Anniversary
This year, will be the 35th anniversary of the Valleycrest Swimming Club and a number of events are being planned to mark the occasion.
In addition, to mark this milestone, Valleycrest also hopes, with the support of everyone, to be able to implement facility improvements, as well as to increase our membership.
Community is the keyword here: a unified body of individuals, businesses and of course our City Hall, contributing towards a lasting impression on kids as well as adults, in this, our community of Pierrefonds West.
It is a member and community effort, which makes the Valleycrest Swimming Club possible.
History
The Valleycrest Swimming Club is a private, non-profit organisation that has been the hub of summer activities in our community since its opening in July 1974.
Valleycrest Pool is located at 4600 des Cageux in Pierrefonds, west of St. Charles Blvd, on the southeast corner of Grier Park. We share this green space with St-Anthony’s elementary school, a soccer field, a baseball diamond, two tennis courts, two playgrounds, and a small but adequate parking lot.
Surrounded by cornfields and woods at the end of Grier Street, Valleycrest was a summer club for about one hundred families until 1986. That year, des Cageux Blvd. was opened and since then, homes have been built north, west and south of the pool and the park.
As the community has grown around Valleycrest, so too has the available pool memberships. In 1994, shares were expanded to cover 250 families, and in 2003 an additional expansion to 330 families was made. Around 1000 public day passes are issued each year. Valleycrest also entertains numerous summer day camps from our community.
Valleycrest Pool is one of six pools belonging to the Pierrefonds Aquatic Association and one of nineteen pools belonging to the Northshore Aquatic Association (NAA).
Main goal
From its inception, Valleycrest’s main goal has been teaching kids to swim and as well as safety around the pool. We of course always strive to make it a pleasurable and fun place to visit, come rain or shine, for everyone who passes through our gates.
Since its inception, Valleycrest Pool has branched out into water sports, i.e. Swim Team, Diving, Synchronized Swimming and Water polo. Swim meets are organized throughout the summer with other pools of the NAA.
In 2009, Valleycrest Pool will be hosting swimmers and their families for the following major water sport events:
August 12 - Sr. Synchro Finals
August 1 - A Division Time Trials
In addition, the pool organizes community building barbeques and festivities through out the summer: Canada Day, Fête Nationale celebrations, Theme Days, Swimathon fundraisers for charities, Movie nights, Bingo, Talent show, Adults-only dinner and dance, just to mention a few.
Valleycrest Olympians
Encouraged by their summer success, many of our young swimmers join Aquatic Teams during the winter. They have returned the following year to become our star athletes. Two Canadian Beijing 2008 Water polo Olympians - Devon Diggle and Nathaniel Miller - had their start at our Valleycrest Pool!
Future
Looking to the future, Life Saving, Bronze Stars, Medallions Crosses are offered to our members who receive their certification from the Canadian Lifesaving Society. These are the first steps to becoming a lifeguard.
Our young people come back to Valleycrest Pool as staff, mentors and volunteers, as well as go on to become lifeguards at neighbouring community pools.
Operation
Owned by 330 shareholders, Valleycrest is managed by 11 shareholder-volunteers who form the elected executive committee. The committee manages the Club with the help of other shareholder-volunteers who give both their time and expertise.
