Greater Vernon swimmers will be high and dry for a little longer later this year.
The Regional District of North Okanagan board was told Wednesday that the Vernon Recreation Complex aquatic centre will be closed from Aug. 26 to Sept. 22 for installation of new dehumidifiers and repairs to the structure.
“We will contact the user groups and make them aware of this,” said Keith Pinkoski, parks planner.
The pool would be generally closed from Aug. 26 to Sept. 16 for routine maintenance, such as painting the pool surface. However, a longer period of time is required to ensure the repairs get done. Also, painting can’t be done when the structure construction is creating dust.
While some directors questioned why the closure can’t start earlier in August when use of the pool is traditionally slow, Pinkoski says that isn’t possible.
“There is some space already booked then for usage,” he said, adding that situation forced the work to occur later in September.
The repairs are necessary because the original dehumidification system was undersized when the pool was built in 1993. The unit was shut off because of expensive repairs needed to keep it running, but that led to roof and wall damage in the pool area.
The repairs are expected to cost about $1.7 million
