BONNYVILLE – During a special Town of Bonnyville council meeting held on Jan. 18, council members heard the results from a Bonnyville Regional Aquatics Centre Visioning and Feasibility Study that had been sought by both the Town and MD of Bonnyville in 2019.
The study that was put together in collaboration by RC Strategies + PERC and BR2 Architecture firm carried out community engagement sessions and convened with a 10-person Regional Aquatics Centre Committee, made up of elected officials from the Town and MD, as well as members of the public.
The study also included a review of the current pool's operations, new pool design concepts and an estimation of the financial impacts for the municipalities if they moved forward with an aquatic centre project.
“Our goal of the community engagement was to try to collect feedback from all corners of the community as best we could. So not just one small segment of the community,” Stephen Slawuta from RC Strategies + PERC, told council.
More than 1,000 Bonnyville and area residents participated in the public engagement process regarding the potential development of a new aquatic centre. Over 800 people filled out a public survey, and 234 comments were left be residents on engagement panels that had been set up in the Bonnyville and District Centennial Centre (C2).
RC Strategies + PERC staff sorted through the hundreds of comments received from the public and incorporated them in the study’s findings.
Slawuta says the number one thing the study found “is that indoor aquatics is really important for residents, that came through in all the engagement we did. It's seen as a valuable amenity for a variety of different reasons, including the climate... and the need to have indoor recreation during the winter.”
The study also found that residents were interested in more dynamic leisure and aquatic features, such as a lazy river, splash park area, hot tub, steam rooms and more. Not that traditional swimming lanes were not as important to respondents, Slawuta noted.
There was also strong support for having the new aquatics facility part of the C2.
“People understand the economies of scale and the benefits of having a bunch of different opportunities all ‘hubbed’ together in one spot,” said Slawuta, who acknowledged that a small percentage of respondents disagreed with moving the location of the pool.
Some concerns raised by residents related to the distance and walkability for seniors and students if the pool was moved to the C2 grounds, council heard.
Current operations
The viability study also included a review of the current pool’s operations, the area's population and demographics, aquatic participation data, as well as broad trends in Alberta and Western Canada.
By reviewing the Bonnyville Swimming Pool’s current patronage, total revenues and expenses, the company was able to predict the potential cost recovery of a future aquatic facility.
This is important, Slawuta says, because even with the construction of a new facility, that has additional amenities, the number of users may not see a significant increase.
“Essentially, revenues are fairly similar in a new pool,” he said. “Your market is what it is, and we are assuming that you're not going to be charging significantly more for admission. There is going to be some uptake because you're going to probably draw people that might be going outside the region for family, leisure and play aquatics... but generally over time, your revenues are probably going to be somewhat similar to what they were at the old pool, but your expenses are going to jump up a fair bit.”
In 2018, the Bonnyville pool had a 27 per cent operational cost recovery, which is the percentage of expenditures recovered through the facility’s annual revenues.
“There are pools in Alberta that are performing a lot less than that, more in the 10 to 15 per cent range, and then at the higher end, a well performing pool would be in that 45 to 50 per cent range,” he explained.
To cover the pool's operating shortfall, the Town provides around $540,000 per year to run the current facility. The study estimates that the new aquatic centre will require a municipal subsidy in the range of $850,000, an increase of $300,000.
Options moving forward
BR2 Architecture provided two conceptual options that connected an aquatic centre to the C2 in different ways, each with their own benefits and drawbacks.
“We want to make sure that the C2 centre stays as a cohesive facility, so each piece works together and each piece talks to each other and makes it more synergetic,” Shaun Visser from BR2 Architecture told council.
Both designs include a main pool with six lanes, separate leisure aquatics, such as a lazy river, splash features, a water slide, first aid room, a birthday party or flex room and a viewing area, among other features.
The first option sees the aquatic centre being added to the side of the fieldhouse and would require little adjustment to the existing roundabout.
“This would keep the circulation space the way it is, but it tacks on the aquatic center to the existing facility,” explained Visser. He noted that the aquatic entrance would have a separate lobby area and limits future expansion of the fieldhouse.
For Option 2, the layout maintained the “circular flow” that was created in the original C2 design but would see significant changes to the roundabout and drop-off zone.
“The original design had a center space of a hub that was developed in a concentric design. So, we thought, what if we try and maintain that,” Visser said, adding the design concept allows for additional expansion of the field house later on.
The second option would also tie into the existing entrances, reception desk and administration components and would allow for the expansion of the C2’s second level.
“This concept seems to tie the pool or the aquatic center a little bit more into that central space... rather than (patrons) making a decision to go left to right when they walk in,” he added.
Financial impacts
The capital cost estimates that are based on 2019 prices are roughly $20.1 million for Option 1 and $21.9 million for Option 2.
In a 2022 context, this could translate to a three to five per cent increase, according to Visser.
The cost estimates include fixtures, furnishings, equipment, splash toys, waterslide costs, as well as site development, permits, inspection and consultant fees. A 15 per cent contingency allowance was also included in each budget.
Visser noted that Option 2 allocates $1.2 million for the expansion of the C2’s fitness centre, which could be postponed for future development.
However, these totals do not take account of the annual operating cost that running an aquatic facility with a significantly larger footprint would result in.
“As a general principle, whenever you build a new recreation facility that replaces an old one, it achieves a lot of efficiencies,” said Slawuta, “but you offset that by having way more space to heat and to manage, clean and all those things as well.”
He noted that it is also important to consider the risk of underperforming revenues, escalation of costs of materials and utilities, as well as the availability of lifeguards locally.
“This is a challenge everywhere, including in cities but especially in small communities. It is really tough to find lifeguards (and) aquatic staff... If you have more space to guard, you obviously need to have some more lifeguards too,” Slawuta pointed out, adding that if a facility doesn’t have enough lifeguards, it will impact the operating hours of the centre.
The two biggest lessons other municipalities have expressed after investing in large aquatic centre are not to underestimate operating costs and to be realistic about the community's ability to guard the facility, he told council.
“Pools are expensive like that, and they can quickly drain a community that isn't realistic about how much it's going to cost,” said Slawuta.
“The operating cost of things, I think is important for us to know,” said Mayor Elisa Brosseau, “It's great to have all these nice “haves” and I'm certainly for it, my kids are going to love it and I will love it, I know community members (will), but I think it's important for us to take a look at those numbers strongly.”
Brosseau says the next steps will be for the Town to speak with regional partners and look for grant opportunities for the project – all things that will add to the timeline.
“Our pool is quite old here and they are still using cranks to turn temperatures. And so, I think we're due for an upgrade,” she added.
Council accepted the presentation as information and supported the construction of a new aquatics centre, in principle, subject to a partnership agreement with the MD of Bonnyville for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of the facility. Support is also subject to achieving grant funding to assist in construction costs.
Items posed for council's further consideration included the possibility of increasing the number of swimming lanes from six to eight, installing a wave feature, and the decommissioning of the Town’s current pool.
