A year that saw the Williams Lake area heat up with wildfires will come to a close with a cool reprieve — the grand opening of the Sam Ketcham Pool.
The newly-renovated West Fraser Aquatic Centre will officially open Thursday, Dec. 14 with a ribbon cutting ceremony open to the entire community. “We encourage the community to come out and celebrate the grand opening with us,” said Joan Sorley, CRD Area F director and SKP working group co-chair. “We can’t wait to see everyone enjoying this beautiful new upgrade to the Sam Ketcham Pool.”
Echoing Sorley’s enthusiasm, Williams Lake city councillor Laurie Walters, SKP working group co-chair, said it’s been a long journey from the community consultation process and referendum to hiring the Tango team and waiting eagerly for the renovations to take shape.
“It truly has been short-term pain for long-term gain and I believe we have met the community’s expectations for a high-quality facility,” Walters said.
The ribbon-cutting will begin at 6 p.m., followed by a free swim at 6:30 p.m.
Entry to the free swim is by ticket only and as there are only 350 tickets available, they must be picked up in advance at the Cariboo Memorial Complex on a first-come, first-served basis and a maximum of four tickets per person.To reduce congestion in the change rooms, the tickets will have different entry times for people to enter the pool.
The completed project includes a new fitness centre, lap tank, swirl pool, steam room and leisure pool. The leisure area features a waterslide, lazy river, tots area, kiddie carwash, teacup fountain, bubble pit, vortex and massage chairs. Phase One of the West Fraser Aquatic Centre opened in August.
For pool hours, events and programs, find the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex on Facebook. Visit the Cariboo Regional District website at and the City of Williams Lake website for further project information.
READ MORE: Splashing along
