Thirty years ago the Pender Harbour Aquatic Facility first opened its doors to the public. Now, after an almost year-long closure for a $1.5 million renovation, the facility is having the finishing touches put on it.
Facility manager Deb Cole said there are so many improvements, people will hardly recognize the place.
"When people see this new facility, they'll understand why it was almost a year in the making," Cole said. "The place just looks twice as big as it was before. The people who have come in are just blown away. They absolutely love it."
Cole said pretty much only the original pool tank and hot tub tank remain, though both have been refinished. The building now has much brighter lighting and bigger windows. The workout room is a much more open concept after having a few walls taken out and floor-to-ceiling mirrors installed along the western wall.
It also has a brand new elliptical machine. The change rooms have been gutted and redone and a new family change room has been added at the request of pool users.
The new change rooms have almost a futuristic looking "light wall."
"It is very cool. It absolutely lightens up the place. You don't feel like you're in a basement anymore," Cole said.
Other upgrades include a covered entranceway, a new and bigger sauna, an outdoor patio, expanded administrative space, a larger lobby and a state-of-the-art heating system. The building and all of its rooms are also now fully accessible to people with disabilities.
The history of planning for the upgrades started with the building's 25th anniversary when staff determined the building's heating ventilation system needed to be upgraded.
"When we got looking at that, we thought it was time to look at the whole facility," Cole said.
From there, the Pender Harbour Aquatic Society started a survey of the pool's users to find what the needs and wants were.
Pender Harbour residents approved the borrowing of $850,000 to pay for renovations through an alternate approval process a sort of reverse referendum.
The rest of the money, which Cole credits with making the full reno possible, came from Recreation Infrastructure Canada a grant program designed to stimulate the economy while improving recreation facilities.
"We were extremely fortunate to get that. The timing was perfect. It wouldn't have been this project without that money," Cole said.
Cole is already taking registrations for swimming and fitness programs ahead of the pool opening on Monday, April 12.
"We'll offer what the community is used to and just try to ramp it up a bit. We've got more choice in the programs now with respect to fitness. We've got more instructors who have come on board with us," she said. "We've got a full range from the water babies right up to the 95-year-olds who are in Aquafit with us."
Cole is also encouraging folks to come check out the Centre's new look at the grand opening celebration on Saturday, April 17, at 11 a.m., which will feature a ribbon-cutting, free family swim and barbecue hosted by the Aquatic Society.
The end result people will see at the celebration, Cole said, is a pool facility residents can be proud of for decades to come.
"It's ready for another 30 or 40 years with this renovation," Cole said with glee.
