A new aquatics centre in Bonnyville is one step closer to becoming a reality.
An open house featuring two designs for the facility is being held on Thursday, Sept. 5 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Bonnyville and District Centennial Centre.
“The development of an aquatics centre in Bonnyville is going to be a significant financial commitment to the community, and I think the residents need to become familiar with what is being proposed and why,” noted town Coun. Brian McEvoy, who sits on the Bonnyville Regional Aquatics Centre Committee.
Attendees can drop by at anytime during the event to ask questions to members of the project team from RC Strategies + PERC, the firm hired to conduct the feasibility study. Members of the committee, along with councillors from the Town and MD of Bonnyville, will also be on hand to discuss the plans.
The set up will feature displays with information including key findings from the community engagement, facility options and concepts, and estimated capital and operating costs.
David Sharun, committee board chair, said the potential plans being shown will have features residents suggested during the feasibility study.
“It’s going to be functional, and usable for what we’re putting in there. We know the size of our population, the usage of our area, and we’ve listened to what the people wanted from the public survey,” he noted.
The proposed location of the aquatics centre will be at the C2, which the committee hopes will help in making the location a recreational hub.
“I think it’s going to be a fresh spot for people to go and enjoy,” explained MD Reeve Greg Sawchuk, who sits on the committee. “In both plans, there’s a lazy river in there and a functioning hot tub. It’s going to be a nice spot for families to go, or for athletes to go and train.”
McEvoy added, “Looking at long-range operating costs, it makes the most sense to integrate into a facility that already had a lot of those services available instead of duplicating them in a secondary location.”
The Town and MD of Bonnyville came together on the project after the community made it clear there was a demand for a new pool. The open house is another step to ensuring residents have their say in what’s available.
The open house is a chance to see what was a priority for those who participated in the feasibility and visioning study.
“We received a lot of feedback from the community as we developed the proposal… and what we’re proposing is based on their feedback up until this point. Keeping in mind, we have to develop this facility that meets the current needs and what is projected for the next 50 years,” McEvoy explained.
During the initial process, the committee also looked at other municipalities and what they’ve built in their communities.
“We looked at and reviewed other facilities for communities our size, and then we’re going to come to market analysis,” Sharun said. “I personally was in North Battleford this winter, and I went to see their swimming pool. It’s similar to our population and very similar to what we’re looking at. We just want to have ideas from other municipalities that are the same size and have done the same thing. Learning what works for them, and what can be changed as well.”
McEvoy encouraged as many people as possible to come out to the open house.
“I really hope the community, and not just from the Town of Bonnyville, but people that surround Bonnyville, because this is a joint proposal to the town and the MD, that we get good feedback from all segments of the community… That they come out, have a look, and everybody has the opportunity to provide feedback.”
Once the information is gathered, it will be presented to both councils who will discuss what their next steps should be.
