Although it’s been under construction for the entire summer, Hinton residents must wait a little longer before using their recreation centre.

The Dr. Duncan Murray Recreation Centre has been undergoing a major renovation since June of 2009. The primary scope of this project includes upgrades to the Main entry lobby area, the pool steam room and heating/ventilation system and the second floor area where Parent Link and Town of Hinton staff offices are located.

Although the lobby upgrades and second floor renovations are essentially complete, recent developments associated with the pool area have resulted in project delays. As such, pool re-opening is now scheduled for November in order to ensure safe and enjoyable customer use.

“A few things need to happen before we can confirm the opening date of the pool. To give some perspective, it takes approximately three days to heat the large air-space to a constant temperature of 28 degrees Celsius. Once the air and structure of the pool area is heated, seven days is required to fill the pool basin, heat the water and balance the water chemistry,” said Town of Hinton project manager Stephen Hanus.

“Resolution to current construction and maintenance items are looking optimistic. However, re-opening the pool is always a tenuous situation due to the initial strain on the entire pool mechanical and structural system. This process could lead to unforeseen issues as history has shown. For example, last time we drained the pool for a routine maintenance we were faced with addressing unforeseen structural issues in the pool deck that was a costly and timely repair. Although we have worked diligently to mitigate all potential problems during pool start-up, unfortunately we cannot guarantee a re-opening date until we have water in the pool basin and the system has had time to balance.”

Mayor Taylor states, “Recognizing that the recreation centre is our most utilized municipal building, with the pool area being a major driver of its popularity, our staff and contractors are doing all that they can to ensure that taxpayers receive excellent value for their dollar. We thank the community for its patience during this renovation project.”