The Town of Inuvik says its swimming pool will reopen this Saturday, following a months-long suspension due to leaks.
On November 3, the town declared that the most recent pool renovations at the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex had been completed, and workers were cleaning it thoroughly before people could use it.
Maintenance checks earlier this year revealed concerns with the pool’s substructure, prompting its closure in June. The pool was drained so engineers could pinpoint the source of a leak. Testing was then carried out to ensure the facility’s structural integrity.
The pool had previously been closed multiple times during the last four years.
During a pre-election interview, Peter Clarkson, who was later elected mayor of Inuvik, stated that one of his top concerns was to keep recreational facilities, such as the pool, open to citizens.
Clarkson announced during a Wednesday council meeting that the pool will be ready to reopen this weekend.
“The big news of the day: the pool is opening Saturday, so it will be open and ready for the kids,” he told the town council.
“They’re going to stage it. There will be a limit – I believe it is 30 kids for the swim sessions as they go up – so that everyone gets used to what they’re doing. Then, as the staff becomes more familiar, the numbers will rise to their regular levels.”
Clarkson stated that people will not be charged to use the pool, which is sponsored by the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, for the remainder of 2024. The firefighters’ association is also a sponsor.He agreed that residents were eager for the pool to reopen.
“It would be fantastic to see that open. It is an invaluable resource for the community. People have been waiting a long time, so there will undoubtedly be a large number of children jumping into the pool,” he remarked.
Steve Krug, Inuvik’s parks, recreation, and leisure services director, informed councillors that workers had discovered leaks in the pool during repairs.
However, Krug stated that the amount of water the pool is presently losing is small in comparison to the scenario before repairs were performed.
At one time, he claimed, the pool was “losing 12,000 cubic litres per day, which is astronomical.”
“Now we’re losing a few drips, just very small,” he told me.
Cynthia Pihlaja, the town’s top administrator, stated that the source of the leaks will be monitored.
“We also have a gauge in our pump, so if our maintenance personnel see an increase in water level, it will be checked. It’s not like, ‘OK, there’s a leak. We know there is a leak there. “We’re going to, you know, forget about it,” she explained.
“It will be monitored to ensure that a small leak doesn’t become a big leak.”