Hot Springs closing down, Ricki Cundliffe

*Fictitious story

The mayor of Radium Hot Springs, B.C., John Doe, has recently announced that the Radium Hot Springs Pools will be closing down permanently as of May 1, 2010.

Doe made the announcement to the village Thursday afternoon at the local Radium Hot Springs Petro Canada.

“We have pondered the closing of the pools for many years now,” Doe told a crown of nearly 700 people. “The Radium Hot Springs Pools are bringing too much attention to our once petit town, and we no longer wish to attract anymore tourists. It’s better for us all.”

The rumor of closing the pools had begun to pass throughout the town approximately two weeks prior to the formal announcement, but it was not taken seriously by the town members.

Terra Poole, a 21-year-old woman born and raised in the village of Radium Hot Springs, was outraged after the announcement was made.

“I can’t believe it,” said Poole. “‘There’s no way this is going to happen,’ I thought to myself. ‘There’s no way!’”

Jane Klein, the manager of Radium Hot Springs Pools, said she feels betrayed by her mayor.

“I’m out of a job, and I won’t be able to stay in the valley without the pools,” Klein said. “There is no reason for this. We want the business! He has no right to do this to any of us.”

A “Save Our Pools” petition has begun to circlulate around Radium Hot Springs to prevent the closing of the Radium Hot Springs Pools.

Ricki Cundliffe, a motel owner and manager in Radium Hot Springs, began the petition as soon as the announcement was made on Thursday.

“There is no excuse for this,” Cundliffe said. “This will ruin our business, and everybody else’s businesses. Our bloody town is named after those pools!”

The petition currently has 495 signatures, and is expected to reach the 650 mark within the next two days.

For more information on the closing of the Radium Hot Springs Pools, or the “Save Our Pools” petition, contact (234)345-2423.




The Radium Hot Springs Pools are the largest mineral springs pools in all of Canada. They are as timely as the Rocky Mountains themselves, and have been developed over the years to better serve tourists and local residents of Radium Hot Springs. There are a number of different businesses located within the Radium Hot Springs Pools buildings, such as Pleiades Massage and Spa.

The town itself, Radium Hot Springs, B.C., is located approximately one hour from the city of Banff, Alberta. Radium Hot Springs was named after the pools, as it is the largest attraction Radium Hot Springs has to offer. The pools attract up to thousands of tourists each year, and keep them coming back for more. With a mere population of 700 residents in the winter months, the pools allow local businesses to thrive in the busier seasons.

There are several other natural hot springs located accross the Rocky Mountains, such as the Fairmont Hot Springs, and the Banff Hot Springs, although Radium's pools remain the largest existing in Canada.

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