The City of Pembroke says repair work at the Kinsmen Pool is in its final stages, and it could reopen early in the new year.
The city closed the public pool at the start of January, describing the 51-year-old building as “at its end of life.”
Council voted to move forward with a $1.4-million repair plan, which the City of Pembroke said in a news release Monday was initially expected to be completed in September, but it has faced delays related to lighting and extensive damage to the tile on the pool deck.
“The lighting repairs are done, which has allowed the contractors to start the repairs on the damaged tile. Unfortunately, the repairs couldn’t be done simultaneously because of the installation and cure time requirements of tile,” the release said.
Once contracted work is complete, there would be additional work by the city’s Parks and Recreation Department to prepare for opening.
City staff said there is no confirmed date yet for when the pool will reopen.
“A date for the pool’s re-opening is not available currently as work is still underway, but it is expected to reopen in the early part of the New Year,” the City of Pembroke said.
To help pay for the expense, Pembroke called on surrounding municipalities and organizations to help cover costs. The City said Monday that the Township of Laurentian Valley has confirmed that it would contribute up to 30 per cent of the net cost to a maximum of $420,000, and that the Friends of the Regional Pool group has managed to raise $92,000 so far through fundraising efforts.
“The ongoing renovations have been unexpected, but necessary to be ready for safe use of our pool facility,” said Mayor Ron Gervais in the release. “We are excited to see the project continuing to move along and continue to ask for patience as we finalize the project.”
Pembroke City Council initially voted against the repair plan, suggesting instead the City explore building a brand new pool, at an estimated cost of $40 million, with a five to seven-year build time. Community members pushed back against that idea, and council later agreed to go ahead with repairs.
The repair work has been ongoing since June.