Swimmers looking for some lap time in St. Albert may find themselves going off the deep end this week.
Shuttered on the weekend, Fountain Park Recreation Centre will be closed until at least Thursday, according to a City of St. Albert social media post.
“We will confirm the reopening once maintenance is completed, and program registrants will be contacted directly regarding any cancellations,” read the post to the Recreation and Parks department’s Facebook page. “We understand this closure is disappointing for residents and we apologize for the inconvenience.”
The facility was shut down Saturday due to an issue with its “air handling unit.” A post from that date indicates the misbehaving equipment is under warranty.
Frustration in the community may already be close to a boil as the pool just reopened Sept. 6 after a summer closure that started July 2.
That work in turn was to address defects from the last round of pool repairs, conducted between May of 2022 and July of 2023 at a cost of $16.5 million, including tile defects, electrical adjustments and paint touch-ups.
The tot pool within Fountain Park has had its share of challenges this fall as well, closing for two days Oct. 24 and 25 and again Oct. 31. There is no post indicating the tot pool reopened before FPRC was closed as a whole.
The loss of that pool time in 2022 and 2023 created enough anxiety that a pair of swim instructors formed their own school and gave one-on-one lessons at a pool in northwest Edmonton, and there’s more pain on the horizon.
More maintenance is planned for Servus Credit Union Place. The Landrex Water Play Centre will be closed November 17 to 28, according to another city Facebook post. Membership holders will be welcomed at Fountain Park, which city council just decided not to add a $60,000 inflatable feature to, during this time.
Assuming it’s open.
Residents with questions can phone the city at 780-418-6088.
