FORT FRANCES – Due to what the town has termed “unforeseen challenges,” the only public pool in the Northwest’s biggest border town will remain closed several weeks longer than planned.
Some of those challenges concern plumbing, engineer Cody Vangel, Fort Frances’ transportation superintendent, told Newswatch.
He explained that the town planned to have a contractor replace only the water lines for the pool’s skimmer, but found the skimmer and jet water lines were laid one directly on top of the other.
As a result, he said Tuesday, the contractor must replace “both systems where we were only anticipating to replace one.”
As well, structural columns in the town’s sports centre were more deteriorated than the town thought at the beginning of renovations, he said.
“A large part of our project was to essentially complete some structural repairs on all the structural columns that basically hold up the auditorium roof structure,” Vangel explained.
“What that meant was cutting out two- to three-foot sections of the existing timber column at the base and then replacing it with a concrete pier to essentially mitigate the moisture rot that typically a pool deck would bring to those timber members,” he said.
“During the repair process, we found some further deterioration of the columns to a higher degree and a higher elevation than anticipated. So, rather than replacing a two- or three-foot section on one of the columns, it ended up being a full column replacement.”
The pool at the Memorial Sports Centre has been closed since last Nov. 6 so that construction contractor M Builds could perform repair and rehabilitation work.
Travis Rob, the town’s interim chief administrative officer, estimated in November that the pool would reopen in March or early April. Now the reopening is expected to happen in late May or early June.
“We acknowledge and share in the disappointment caused by this delay, but our primary focus is to ensure the safety and long-term viability of the pool,” stated a release from the town on Monday.
The release also shared good news on the project, including that the work on the building’s HVAC system is finished and accessibility has been improved.
“All improvements will enhance the overall experience for all users,” according to the release.
Questions about renovations at the sports centre can be directed to the town’s operations and facilities department at 807-274-9893.
