Today is your last chance to take a dip in the Trail pool – or pump iron in the Aquatic Centre gym – before the facility locks up for annual maintenance.
Shutdown starts on Saturday, Aug. 10, and the entire site will remain closed until Sunday, Aug. 18.
The fitness centre will re-open with reduced hours on Aug. 19, however the facility will not return to full operations until Monday, Sept. 9.
Parks director Trisha Davison says the month-long job involves tiling, painting, and maintenance on the inner workings of the complex including upgrades on the chlorine gas and pool filtration systems, as well as the HVAC system.
“A host of other maintenance items (will) also (be) completed,” she explained “But those are the major ones.”
Besides a refreshed look, users of the activity hub will notice another small change when they return to the East Trail locale next month.
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In September, fees will increase three per cent after council recently approved higher rates for all of the city’s recreational services in the 2019/2020 season.
What that means for families (one adult and five individuals) is the drop-in pool fee will increase 70 cents to $28.
Traditionally, fees for services increase by approximately two per cent annually, or the same percentage as labour rate increases outlined in the municipal workers’ Collective Agreement.
In 2018, however, council agreed to hold all rates contained within the recreation fee bylaw due to challenges and timing with the launching of a new software program.
As a result, there have been no fee increases since September 2017.
“It is important that recreation user rates and charges continue to be adjusted as part of recognizing the increasing costs to provide service and further to contain the net property tax subsidy to a reasonable level,” the city’s David Perehudoff noted. “… while wages have increased two per cent annually … actual labour costs have increased in excess of this amount … If user fees aren’t incrementally increased, it could require more dramatic increases in the future.”
As part of the new rate structure an annual sports pass for the Aquatic Centre will increase $11 to $378, per user. As well, the charge for a sports pass in the memorial centre (ice) now stands at $262.75, or $11 more than last season.
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