Delay in reopening Vernon Aquatic Centre

Oct 9, 2020 | 4:35 PM

The Vernon Aquatic Centre will reopen a few days later than originally scheduled.

The city had planned to open the facility next Tuesday (Oct. 13), but that’s been pushed back to Sunday Oct. 18 due to delays to install a new water filtration system.

The pool and other amenities have been closed since March.

“We are greatly disappointed that our reopening plans have been delayed,” said Gary Lefebvre, Manager, Aquatics. “We know many of our community members have been keen to get back in the pool, and we’ve been excited to welcome everyone back, but unfortunately there has been a series of unforeseen circumstances that have prolonged the installation process.”

Prior to the facility closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of major aquatics maintenance projects were scheduled to take place during the annual shutdown period in September. Staff took steps to review each of the projects and expedite them where possible, based on the availability of materials and contractors.

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“The Recreation Services team worked diligently with our contractors to complete the major maintenance works in a timely manner; however, there were challenges with the manufacturing and shipping of specialized pool equipment to complete the upgrades on our water filtration system,” said Doug Ross, Director, Recreation Services. “These issues were compounded by two key members of the installation team needing to be replaced for personal reasons, at different points of the project.”

Ross said despite the setbacks, they are glad the project is nearly complete and they’re eager to resume aquatics programming in a facility where the water quality and energy efficiency has been improved.

Once the filtration system is commissioned, staff will have to become familiarized with the new equipment and be trained on the newly implemented COVID-19 safety protocols for the Recreation and Aquatic Centres.

“We understand these last several months have been trying, and recreation is a vital aspect of an individual’s and a community’s well-being,” said Ross. “We wish to thank our community members and user groups for their patience and understanding as we complete this project and prepare to open the doors again next week.”

In addition to the new filtration system for the leisure pool, lap pool and hot tub, the leisure pool has been painted, safety upgrades have been made to the lap pool main drain, and the boiler system has been replaced.

“These projects, together, are going to make a significant difference to the water quality of our pools and increase the energy efficiency of our facility,” said Lefebvre.

by Pete McIntyre

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