The Wynyard Swimming Pool won't be opening this year, but will be getting a few upgrades for the 2021 season. (Facebook/Wynyard Swimming Pool)

By Mat Barrett

Wynyard Swimming Pool

Wynyard Swimming Pool not opening this year, getting facelift for 2021

Jun 18, 2020 | 5:00 PM

The outdoor swimming pool in Wynyard won’t be opening to the public this summer.

Outdoor pools are permitted to open as of June 22 as part of phase four of the Re-Open Saskatchewan Plan, but a Facebook post by the pool said “due to recent pandemic restrictions, the Wynyard Swimming Pool will not be open this year.”

Wynyard’s Director of Leisure Services Sigourney Anderson said it’s not that the pool can’t open, but town council decided keeping it closed would be best.

“The pool was built in the 80s, so it’s quite an older pool, and it needed a lot of work,” Anderson said. “So we are taking the money that we would’ve spent opening, and maintaining and operating the pool this summer, and we’re putting it back into the facility.”

There’s a few bigger projects set for the facility, including changing the cartridge filters, and adding an automatic chemical controlling system. The cartridge filter replacement will allow the filters to only be cleaned once a season, instead of a couple times a week. The chemical controlling system will read the chemical makeup of the water and add chemicals as necessary. Both of those projects are expected to save on staffing and energy in the long run. In total those are expected to cost around $60,000.

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On top of the bigger additions to the facility, Anderson said they’ll also spend between $15,000 and $25,000 on giving the facility a facelift. That will include re-painting, replacing toilets, fixing and replacing lighting, and fixing concrete.

The pool costs about $100,000 to operate on a yearly basis.

Anderson said while residents won’t be able to swim at the pool this year, they’re in a good position.

“We’re lucky that we have some amazing facilities in places like Wadena, Foam Lake, and Raymore nearby that are opening,” she said. “So people will still have access to swimming pools.”

High efficiency heaters were also added to the Wynyard Swimming Pool in 2018, adding to some cost savings in the future.

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mat.barrett@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @matbarrett6