CANORA — Even though we are in the dead of the Canora winter, it’s easy to think ahead to warmer weather and the summer of 2022.
In spite of the cold temperatures outside, the project continues to progress on the new Canora Aquatic Park, according to Aaron Herriges, director of leisure services.
“The Aquatic Park service building has been erected using insulated concrete forms,” reported Herriges. “The roof truss is done and has been sheeted with metal. The interior framing and the mechanical rough-ins have been completed.”
Currently work is ongoing on the vapour barrier and sheet rock covering of the ceiling so that insulation can be blown in.
“During the upcoming weeks the rest of the sheet rock and fibreglass reinforced panels will be installed,” said Herriges.
In mid-February Western Recreation is scheduled to return to start installing some of the pool mechanical components, including: pumps, filters, heater, piping and so on.
The designs include an improved reception area which will allow the facility to provide a small canteen, with a limited selection of course. “The staff will be able to sell cold drinks and packaged snacks. Just enough items to get by on a warm day.” Many of the pool’s users are there for extended periods.
With bulk of the primary planning complete, in the coming months the Canora Leisure Services Board will continue working on ideas to compliment the park. There will be many discussions on what the green space will look like, as well as what features will exist in and around park.
“The volunteer board will have good open dialog, so we can make sound recommendations to Town Council. This is an important step to allow our volunteer citizens to leave their mark on the project,” explained Herriges.
Once the project is complete, Herriges said the facility will provide a variety of welcome features for families and individuals with mobility issues.
From the moment they leave their vehicle, visitors won’t have to encounter any steps up or down. For example, waterproof wheel chairs could be rolled from the parking lot curb, through the service building, to the centre of the 82 F leisure pool with the zero entry access points, which also connects to the junior Olympic size lap pool.
The leisure pool starts at zero depth, and gradually increases to three-and-a-half feet, for ease of movement.
In addition to easy accessibility, the Aquatic Park, designed by Western Recreation, features a four lane junior Olympic lap pool, which is the same length as the existing pool, but two lanes narrower, and will be connected to the leisure pool.
A separate Tot Pool with a depth of zero to 10 inches is located at the entrance to the leisure pool. This area includes an overflowing retaining wall that reduces concerns for the little ones.
The leisure pool area includes Western Recreation’s standard spray features: two geysers, a tipping bucket, and an umbrella sprayer. The peanut-shaped jet powered vortex pool is great for all ages who want to relax and let the pool do the work.
A signature feature will be different water slides that empty into a slide alcove portion of the pool. A bench divider is for family members that want to wait for someone coming off the slide. The two different slides consist of one 110-foot spiral flume water slide and one 36- foot double straight water slide.
It’s still a little early to tell when the project will be complete. The building and pool construction crews are on schedule, but there are many other things (landscaping, parking, fencing, etc.) that will need to be complete before the doors can open.
