Damage caused by extreme weather has delayed the opening of Red Deer’s Recreation Centre outdoor pool.
For the first time in at least 20 years, the snowfall and freeze-thaw patterns of last fall and winter have cracked the gutters, or spill-over edge, at the shallow end of the outdoor pool, said recreation facilities supervisor, June Larson.
As a result, the pool that usually opens on the Victoria Day weekend won’t be available to swimmers until June 1.
Larson said the damage to cement and the PVC piping that channels spill-over water back into the pool’s circulation system, has already been largely fixed by Tim-Con Construction,
That’s the same company working on the Dawe Centre renovation.
The cement repair still needs time to cure, however, and a fibreglass finish is required.
Larson said the total cost of the repair isn’t yet known, but is expected to be less than the city had initially feared.
She said Recreation Department workers have been winterizing the outdoor pool the same way for 20 years — the pool is drained below the gutter line, but some water is kept circulating within the basin to prevent freezing — and there’s never been a problem until now.
High snowfall, combined with repeat freeze-thaw cycles are thought to have caused the cracking.
Larson said the pool was originally poured in 1965, so “has done a pretty good job of standing up” to this point.