OUTLOOK - An update on the Van Raay & Community Swimming Pool in Outlook has shown that the aquatic facility is on track to reopen for the 2025 summer season.
The popular community hotspot, which opened in 2019, was forced to sit out this past summer following a freak pipe burst incident that caused a flood disaster back in January of this year that caused a number of structural issues.
Town administrator Kevin Trew touched on the status of the pool at the November 6 council meeting, sharing that with the arrival of November and the incoming winter season, he wanted to update Council and the public on where things were at with the pool. On the subject of transparency, despite the accusations that some in the community labeled the Town with following the January incident, Trew said he was proud of how open and transparent the Town has been with the public on all of the issues that the pool was facing after the incident had occurred.
After completing a number of tasks related to repairs, Trew shared an update on where things currently stand with the pool.
One of the fixes that was made included installing a thermostat for monitoring purposes, which features an app for the heater in the pool room that sends alerts for low temperatures to key personnel. In addition, Council strengthened the winterization policies for the Town that includes three different people covering two departments that require written sign-offs.
The next steps for the swimming pool were said to include completing the paving stone repairs, which was a job awarded to Broderick Garden Centre. The hope is that it can get done this fall, but if not, the next target is early in the springtime prior to the pool opening for another year. Secondly, the Town's insurer is waiting to receive quotes for the liner patching, and it's expected to be completed this fall or once again in the early spring prior to the pool opening again.
The Town is also working with insurance to receive a settlement for the concrete floor of the pool's deep end. Structural engineers said that the cracked concrete will happen over time and that this wasn't solely caused by the freezing incident from January. Trew shared that the insurer will not be paying for the repairs, but will settle for the portion of the damage caused by the incident. The Town will eventually need to replace the concrete floor, so they will set aside the settlement in a reserve fund to set aside for future repairs, replacement of the concrete floor, and costs.
At this point, the Town is prepared to be fully operational for the 2025 swimming season, and they are currently planning to have a full summer of swimming opportunities for everyone of all ages.
Trew added that the work carried out by staff, specifically Megan Anthony, Luke Lockhart and Kelton MacDonald in the early stages after the freezing incident at the pool, showed their dedication to the community and their commitment to doing all that they could to salvage what they could in the aftermath of what happened to the pool. Such dedication was shown by the fact that all three employees did not claim their time.
Trew said that the Town very much recognizes that this was a mistake on their end, and that specific members of the staff had been reprimanded in the wake of what happened. Regardless of what happened last January, it's time for the community to move forward and do all that it can not to repeat the same mistakes.
"I'm looking forward to going swimming in my spare time!" said Mayor Weiterman, igniting laughs from the council room.
Copies of the report sharing details of the pool's rehabilitation will soon be on the Town of Outlook's official website.
