Users of the Kinsmen Sportsplex swimming pool will notice new flooring the next time they slip on their bathing suits and take a swim at the recreational complex.
One of the major projects taking place during this year’s annual maintenance campaign is the revitalization of the floors in the change rooms, the washrooms and the showers, explained Cory Oakes, operations manager for the parks department. Anti-slip tiling will be installed so users are safe while walking in any of those areas.
The pool deck is also being retiled.
Overall maintenance is going well and all necessary repairs should be finished by July 2, Oakes said. Parks and rec staff, along with contractors, are fixing all the small things that the public doesn’t necessarily notice, such as water pumps, filters and pipes. Painting of the upper level of the pool is also occurring.
Another major project is the replacement of the concrete pad at the front entrance. It will be torn out and piles will be placed underneath to keep it from rising or sinking. Oakes pointed out years of freezing and thawing raised the pad by an inch, so the department thought it would be proactive and address it now for safety concerns.
Now is an ideal opportunity to close the pool to clean it and work on the large, one-time projects and the usual year-to-year maintenance items since this limits the downtime throughout the rest of the season, he continued.
This yearly maintenance normally takes two to three weeks, depending upon the projects that need to be undertaken.
“The year-to-year maintenance are definitely the most important,” Oakes said. This includes fixing the pumps, filters and boilers. There are classes and programs that could be affected if pool were to break down unexpectedly.
“We get a pretty thorough maintenance done during the shutdown, so we don’t have to have any major interruptions throughout the season. That’s the goal for us, is to have zero breakdowns throughout the season.”
The pool is well used during the rainy and cloudy days, or when the weather is not ideal, Oakes said. The Sportsplex pool is also busy when the pool at the Natatorium is itself full.
“Our numbers are down from what it would be in the fall and winter, but it’s used fairly frequently,” he added.
Oakes was unable to say how much it costs to undertake this maintenance since it varies from year to year. All of the funding comes out of the department’s operating budget.
