Structural concerns delay Pyramid Recreation Centre aquatics-centre reopening into the fall

A photo of the indoor structure at the Pyramid Recreation Centre pool.

By Galen Simmons, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Swimming lessons and other aquatics-centre programming at the Pyramid Recreation Centre (PRC) won’t return this summer as originally expected after emerging structural concerns have delayed the completion of multi-million-dollar renovations to the pool into the fall.

At the May 27 St. Marys council meeting, town director of community services Stephanie Ische provided an update on the nearly $1.75-million renovations that first closed the pool to the public last November. She told councillors that, as work has advanced, the structural degradation caused by the pool’s original saltwater system and high humidity is more extensive than staff and contractors initially estimated.

“Last week, we received a report from the structural engineer that raised some concerns,” Ische said. “The key takeaway is that the damage caused by the saltwater and humidity are becoming more apparent. … We understand that the reopening of the pool is a significant topic in our community and we are committed to keeping everyone informed with the most accurate information. Based on the latest updates, we anticipate the pool will be returned to us by Labour Day, best-case scenario, or later into the fall, around mid- to late October.

“Once we regain access to the site, there will need to be an additional period required for essential tasks such as cleaning the site, filling the pool, chemically treating it, heating it and conducting staff training.”

Ische said the town is hosting a drop-in open house at the PRC EndZone on June 18 from 5-7 p.m. where members of the public will have the opportunity to learn more about the work being done, see pictures of the extent of the structural degradation and ask questions of staff.

The aquatics centre, opened in 2008, initially used a saltwater chlorine-generation system. While popular with municipal pools at the time, this system caused significant deterioration of equipment and infrastructure indoors. In response, the town transitioned to an ultra-violet disinfection system utilizing liquid chlorine in 2018 and developed a plan to replace damaged equipment and improve air quality. The ongoing renovations address humidity issues stemming from insufficiently sized HVAC equipment installed during the original construction in 2007.

The PRC pool was closed to the public in November 2024 to address safety concerns caused by saltwater and high humidity – including a near miss after a rainwater pipe in the roof of the PRC fell onto the pool deck in early 2024. These renovations were deemed essential to ensure the facility could be used safely and effectively by the community.

The project involves the installation of a new HVAC unit and exhaust systems to improve air quality. Additionally, repairs are being performed on various parts of the aquatics centre that have experienced wear and tear and salt damage. These upgrades not only aim to repair existing issues but also to future-proof the aquatics centre against similar challenges in the coming years.

“The installation of the ductwork is currently in place; programming controls for the HVAC unit are being installed; repainting of the block wall has not started but should be starting in June; replacement of the pool filters – we’ve got a timeline for that and they’re coming the week of June 16 and that’s a two-week process,” Ische said, updating council on the work underway or complete at this point.

“And they’re working on rebuilding the high bay windows and supports, which is part of that structural work that we did talk about earlier. So, the pool work is continuing to happen, we’re just focusing on timelines, trying to be on top of the project.”

While Ische said the project still has $30,000 in contingency funds remaining in the original budget, she’s not yet sure if this additional work will require additional funding. If it does, she told council the project likely won’t extend too much beyond the original budget. Any addition to the project budget will be brought to council for approval.

“I’m surprised that it took so long to find that element that needed attention with the windows,” Coun. Fern Pridham said. “Why wouldn’t the people working all of these months have noticed this earlier?”

“That had not been exposed until this point in time,” Ische said. “So, as each piece of the project happens, the exposure of that window had not happened until this point, so that’s why. We hope everything has been exposed at this time, and we did ask that at our meeting. We hope for no more surprises, but … with projects like this, surprises can come up.”

Speaking to the delay, Mayor Al Strathdee reminded councillors and residents that the intent of this project is to ensure the work needed at the pool is done right and for the safety of all users and staff.

“It was raised at this table by more than one councillor there was concerns about safety,” he said. “We had a near mishap. To staff’s point, as we peel back the onion, there has been ridiculous things like the wrong paint on the wall, which is unacceptable, and it slowed the project down for a couple weeks. There’s been a lot all at once, but the reality is we’re still close to budget – we’ll probably go over. … I’ve heard it from the public myself from people who think they’re going to be swimming in the pool in a couple weeks.

“The reality is we made the decision to do this right and to put safety first. … I think it’s important that we support staff and take our lumps and move forward. … It’s not outrageously overbudget as of yet. It is slower, but safety was paramount … and unfortunately (the project) just hasn’t gone well. Anyone who has had a construction project knows how that goes.”