The Collicutt Centre was shut down and Red Deer RCMP had to conduct an extensive search after a threat was written on a wall inside the facility on Wednesday night.
Police did not find anything however the potential risk caused a significant disruption of service and cost to the city.
Some 200 people and another 15 city staffers were evacuated from the facility around 8:45 p.m. on Wednesday. The centre typically closes at 10 p.m. Monday to Friday.
About 10 staffers stayed on site to assist with the investigation and to prepare the facility to re-open in the morning. However, it remained closed throughout Thursday for cleanup and regular maintenance following the search. It was slated to open at its regular time at 5:30 a.m. today.
Hundreds of residents use the centre every day for various drop-in programs, to use the water park, indoor track, field house and other activities. City staff were all paid for the day as part of the collective agreement.
Charity Dyke, acting communications director, said shutting down a facility for a day does cost the same amount as operating it for a day. No specific dollar figure was provided.
“We were doing this in the best interest of our community,” said Dyke. “The approach that we took was ensuring that the facility was safe for everyone that was going to be using it.”
Dyke said residents were able to use other facilities such as the G.H. Dawe Community Centre and the Recreation Centre.
RCMP have not revealed the details of the threat but they have confirmed there was no imminent danger to the public.
No injuries were reported. A police dog team helped in the search.
Red Deer RCMP continue to investigate the incident and will remain in the facility as part of the ongoing investigation.
crhyno@www.reddeeradvocate.com