By Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Tyler Waugh
The Witless Bay outdoor pool has been closed for construction this year, and Council wasn't able to give a definite timeline for re-opening what they are calling a new and improved amenity.
Councillor Ralph Carey suggested during the July 22 public meeting that the pool could be open for business in as little as two weeks, but Deputy Mayor Justina Nawaz was more cautious about the timeline in response to a question from the Irish Loop Post at the end of the meeting.
"Thankfully, the project is actually ahead of schedule. While we don't have a definitive date for opening it yet, we are thankful and glad to say that it will be open before the summer's out," Nawaz said.
The pool upgrades were included as part of a larger flood-mitigation project at the recreation grounds at a total cost of just under $1 million, with the Province covering 90 per cent of that total and the Town on the hook for the other 10 per cent, or around $100,000. The flood mitigation included a complete redoing of waterflow and drainage in the area.
"In previous years we've had really severe flooding in the area, so much so that it covered the entirety of the recreation grounds and was spreading across the road," Nawaz said, adding that it's work that the Town needed done and that, when the Town wrote up the proposal, it included a component of redoing the pool entry to make it wheelchair accessible as well. “We have residents and children in the community that do require wheelchairs and were not able to easily access the area. So doing everything in one project has been very good for us to not only mitigate the flood issues but also improve the area for residents."
Carey provided a more specific update on pool progress during his public works report July 22, outlining how the pool is now painted and the change rooms cleaned. He added that while the flood mitigation project is ongoing, it is nearing completion.
"We want to thank the residents for their patience and understanding with this construction and, obviously, with that construction there was road closures and delays in that part of the area," Carey said. "This pool, to the best of my knowledge, will be one of the only ones in the area that is an outdoor pool that is wheelchair accessible with a ramp put in."
