More than two years after shutting the Norplex Pool down permanently for safety reasons, the city is getting closer to having a finalized design for a replacement but how it’s going to be paid for is still an open question.
“We’re still continuing to work with Stantec and we have a meeting this week with them,” said recreation and community services director Sonya Wiseman at the Feb. 16 recreation and community services committee meeting, referring to Stantec Architecture, which was awarded a contract of about $1 million for the design and engineering os a new pool facility back in September.
The design is expected to be finalized by April or May of this year and will include a recommendation on possible locations for the pool and the best ones based on the city’s wants and needs.
The Winter Wonderland Christmas lights display at McCreedy Campground generated some money for the project, Wiseman said at January’s recreation committee meeting.
“We had great success. We raised just over $60,000 in a matter of three-and-a-half, four weeks.”
Apart from that, the only external funding the city has said it’s received so far is $75,000 from the province for the design and engineering report.
In October 2019, council passed a resolution seeking an Investing in Canada Infrastructure (ICIP) grant, which would cover 76 per cent of an estimated total cost of $20 million for a new pool, with the city chipping in just over $5 million.
The provincial government told the city in late October of last year that it had sent its list of prioritized projects under the ICIP to the federal government and that, once projects are approved at the federal level, the provincial government will provide provincial funds immediately to allow planning and construction to begin as quickly as possible.
