DIDSBURY – After being closed for renovations for three months, the Didsbury Aquatic Centre is set to open on Nov. 12.
The pool has been closed since Aug. 12 in order to conduct the upgrades, which finished more than $300,000 under the original budget of $844,000.
“This was the third and final phase of a three-year upgrade project for the Didsbury Aquatic Centre,” said Nicole Aasen, manager of community services.
“The final phase saw the sandblasting, repair and repainting of the interior steel beam ceiling structure.” A new pool deck was also added, as well as lighting upgrades in the washrooms and some mechanical repairs/upgrade.
“This three-year project was required to ensure that our 24-year-old facility remained a viable recreation facility in our community. Much of the work done over the past three years was to update/replace areas of the building that had reached the end of their lifespan.”
Aasen said the aquatic centre remains very popular among residents and visitors alike.
“The Didsbury Aquatic Centre is a very busy facility in our community, seeing users from Didsbury, Carstairs, Cremona and other areas of Mountain View County,” she said.
“We host over 40,000 swimmers each year, ranging in ages from four months in our parent and tot swim lessons to our very active and popular seniors' fitness classes.”
Doing the work on the project is Aztec Renovations and Retrofit. The full cost of the project is $465,000 plus $69,750 contingency. The capital project was funded through grants received by the Town of Didsbury.
Some of the smaller tasks were planned and paid for through the 2016 operational budget (mechanical upgrades/lights), said Aasen.
The aquatic centre will be hosting a free public swim sponsored by Telus on Sunday, Nov. 13 from 2-5 p.m. to celebrate the reopening to the public and to thank patrons for their patience.
“Staff are very excited to reopen to the public and to show off the improvements,” said Aasen. “Everyone is welcome to attend. There will be hotdogs, treats and plenty of fun for all.”
"This was the third and final phase of a three-year upgrade project for the Didsbury Aquatic Centre."Nicole Aasenmanager of community services
