It’s not the news Vanderhoof residents want to hear as the opening of their Aquatic Centre has been pushed back to December.
The opening date was originally set for October with the YMCA agreeing to operate the facility once open.
“We have not been able to get enough tilers, the facility has tiling on all the decks and all of the pools are aligned with tile and we have subcontractor and they weren’t able to provide us with enough tiles when we needed them,” says Zoe Dhillion, Special Project Coordinator.
She adds the setback is frustrating since they planned for an October opening.
“October was pretty much the plan and it is frustrating to be saying an opening date of December at the end of the year and it’s not really time to be thinking about an aquatic facility, so it is a tough one to swallow for sure.”
Could a two-month delay have a negative impact on the opening number since the weather won’t be as good?
“It’s not. I think this community is so ready for a pool and have been waiting so patiently and the feedback has been great so I don’t think it’s going to affect our opening numbers.”
Proposed hours include 48 weeks of operation per year and an average of 79 hours per week.
The required roles include a centre manager, aquatic team leaders, senior facility operations, junior facility operations, lifeguards/swim instructors, and cashiers or front counter staff.
Programs including swim lessons, aqua fitness programs, and a competitive swim club are also outlined in the final operating plan report.