The projected cost of refurbishing the Steinbach Aquatic Centre is continuing to go up. Russ Dyck, Manager - Parks and Recreation, told city council earlier this year that refurbishing the 20-year-old facility was anticipated to cost about $1.5 million over several years. Now, the estimate has increased to $2.7 million. Dyck outlines some of the work that needs to be done.

Dyck says new lighting, acoustical panels, and painting the ceiling are planned in the first phase of the project."A few of major things that we are looking at addressing in the first phase would be lighting, acoustical panels and painting the ceiling in the pool area. Those three components need to be done jointly in one phase. That will require, mostly likely, scaffolding set up throughout the building so that all the tradespeople have proper access to the ceiling. The scaffolding itself is probably a few hundred thousand dollars and the lighting and acoustical panels on top of that, so that first phase is probably in the $800,000 range."

Dyck adds the outdoor pool will also need repairs because it too is showing its age. Furthermore, he says there are needs such as more lifts to assist people with disabilities and a higher capacity filtration system to better handle the large number of swimmers that use the facility.

He says the work will start in the next year or two and will be coordinated so that the outdoor pool is available when the indoor work is being done.

"The plan would be for the outdoor pool to still be accessible and we could do some lessons in there as well. We will try and time it between our spring lesson session and our fall lesson session."

The city has applied for a $2 million federal/provincial grant to help with the $2.7 million cost of the work and hopes to get an answer on that by sometime next spring.