THUNDER BAY – After a two-month closure, swimmers can jump back into the pool at Lakehead University.
The eight-lane 50-metre Olympic-length pool and the 25m short-course pool reopened earlier this week after undergoing maintenance work.
Lakehead athletic director Tom Warden said that the pool is closed near the end of the summer and the start of the school year for work to be done, but that this year’s closure lasted longer so that everything was in tip-top shape.
“We had some detailed maintenance that was going on as it’s extremely important to keep with that for safety and that we are adhering by all the codes that we must abide by,” Warden said.
“We’re really excited to welcome everybody back. We know that there are a lot of user groups that have been waiting patiently for us to open back up… and we are open for business.”
While some of the changes are noticeable, such as new lighting in the facility, many of the things that were worked on at the pool might not be as visible to people when they come for a swim.
“A lot of it has to do with the HVAC (system) or with water quality, but it’s all essential so that things are running safely,” Warden said.
“This is an older facility now as it was built in the late 1960s, so it’s getting a little more difficult to maintain simply because of the fact that some of the things are starting to age or become obsolete. We were closed a little longer this year, but that’s because we wanted to make sure that the facility maintenance was done correctly.”
Warden added that the pool is still busy, especially in the late afternoon and the evening, but that the school would like to see more students take advantage of the facility.
“It sort of ebbs and flows a bit with the student body and who’s interested in swimming,” Warden said.
“We’ve worked with LUSU (Lakehead University Student Union) at different times for different events and we try to do different things with the student body to provide opportunities for them, whether that is here at the pool or other activities.”