(File photo/meadowlakeNOW staff)

By Elliott Knopp

Pool Upgrades

Meadow Lake Aquatic Centre receiving locker, slide, structural upgrades

Jan 25, 2022 | 5:51 PM

Swimmers in the community can expect to see some welcomed changes to the Meadow Lake Aquatic Centre in 2022.

During Monday’s budget meeting, Meadow Lake City Council approved several upgrades to the facility that will improve safety and overall enjoyment once the projects have been completed. One of the upgrades pool visitors may be most excited about comes in the form of a new slide.

In an interview with meadowlakeNOW, Parks and Recreation Manager Regan Beck says the current model is outdated and worn from years of use, and bringing in a new unit is one of the smaller-scale upgrades that will make a more significant difference.

“It’s a little bit bigger, a little bit better, and a little bit safer too. All those things make it a really nice fit for everything, and people will enjoy it once we get it installed,” he said.

Image of the new slide model expected to be purchased for the Meadow Lake Aquatic Centre. (Supplied photo/City of Meadow Lake)

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Security at the facility is also being enhanced with the addition of new lockers in the change rooms. Over recent years, the City has purchased and installed a majority of the locker units at the Aquatic Centre.

Due to an increase in the price of the units, the City delayed purchasing the rest of the units in need of repair until the 2022 budget could provide clarity on what funding would be available.

Along with completing the locker upgrades, modifications to the change rooms will improve privacy. Beck said the City is looking into removing some of the vacant and unnecessary lockers to install changing stalls in each of the change rooms.

Lockers that will be removed are frequently unused due to their worn appearance and the surplus of storage units available inside of the change rooms.

“That’s something that we know that people are looking for, just for a little more privacy nowadays.”

Additionally, the main support posts throughout the pool deck will be replaced. The years of use have resulted in the items deteriorating and developing rust, which if unchecked, could result in future safety issues.

Support posts at the Aquatic Centre are set to be replaced when the facility undergoes its annual maintenance shut down. (Supplied photo/City of Meadow Lake)

Beck said the replacements to the current slide and posts should not concern residents as the upgrades are preventative maintenance, rather than items that require urgent attention.

“It’s like any other asset that you have, if you don’t put some dollars behind it and make sure you stay on top of it, they start to show some wear and tear” he said.

“There isn’t a safety issue at this time, but there will be long-term risks if you let the deterioration go on.”

The total cost of the upgrades is estimated to be more than $60,000, and is included in the City’s capital budget.

Repairs and installations are expected to take place when the Aquatic Centre undergoes its annual shut down.

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elliott.knopp@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @ElliottKnopp