Town mulls options for pool

It could be an opportunity for the Town of Vauxhall to add Olympic-level quality to the Vauxhall Public Swimming Pool.

During their regular meeting on July 21, council heard a presentation from Ryan Jones, a representative from NCAquatics, a commercial swimming pool company specializing in high end pools such as those used in the last summer Olympics. His discussion  included not only the pool, but the deck surrounding the pool, and an overhaul in the mechanical system as well.

“What we have put together here is not a band-aid,” Jones said. “This is the solution to every problem that we know of, and putting you in the ideal scenario for the next 20, 30, or 50 years.”

The company represents Myrtha Pools, a pool manufacturer from northern Italy specializing in pre-fabricated pool systems. According to Jones, Myrtha pools are made primarily from stainless steel and PVC, shipping 1,500 pools per year.

“About 250 to 300 of those are commercial or public pools, just like we have here (in Vauxhall),” said Jones.

Jones said the Vauxhall pool would be completely predefined down to the millimetre prior to it being shipped to the site.

“You would know every nut and bolt, every material,’ he said. “You would also know how that water would flow before the pool is even filled.”

The pool would be constructed using stainless steel panels with a rigid PVC laminated to it. Jones said the panels, which make up the surface, never need to be painted or worked on for the life of the pool.

The panels could be fit like a sleeve inside the current pool with minimal loss of space, although they could be moved in order to change the shape of the pool or to allow for piping inside the walls. Jones said since the deck needs to be replaced anyway, the pipes could be put in the ground when that work is being done. In fact, the old pool would actually save on some work because the old concrete walls would be effective supports for the steel walls.

“It’s important to say I don’t really care what the pool condition is right now,” Jones said. “I can fix all of that, and it’s not really much of an obstacle for me.”

Deputy Mayor Russell Norris asked about issues with the mechanical side of the pool, and Jones replied he had already selected the same company which handles mechanical issues for Universal Studios in Florida.

Closer to home, they have been responsible for the spray park located in Brooks.

While cost was not discussed during the presentation, Jones did inform council of another project his company was handling in William’s Lake in which an engineer’s study reported a shutdown time of eight months and a cost of $2 million for a cement and tile renovation inside an older cement pool.

“That’s an insane number and insane shutdown time,” he said, later adding his company could do it in 6 to 8 weeks at a cost of $800,000. He indicated comparable pools in Calgary require about $1,000 per year in maintenance.

Jones said the pools his company installs any number of optional devices, toys, or features, from special stairs and moveable floors for access to the pool to fountains, water slides, and different features designed to entertain pool users of all ages.

“This is absolutely the most modern technology there is for commercial swimming pools,” he said.

More discussion on the pool is expected at a later date.

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