THUNDER BAY — For the next four months, swimmers will be absent from the pool, and the exercise equipment will stand idle at the Canada Games Complex.
The City of Thunder Bay has closed the city's largest indoor recreation facility for renovations and maintenance.
When the doors reopen in the fall, users will be able to observe some of the changes but not the significant upgrades to the building infrastructure.
The visible alterations will include accessibility improvements in the locker and washroom areas including a new, gender-neutral, barrier-free washroom and a special-needs change room, the complete renewal of shower areas, and the installation of new accessible washrooms and showers.
There will also be some repairs to exterior walls.
Elsewhere in the building, the boiler plant will be replaced with new natural gas-fired condensing boilers including new pumps and accessories.
In addition, the air-handling unit in the mult-purpose room will be replaced, and the facility-wide direct-digital control system will be upgraded including with a new web-based operator interface and electronic control devices.
Eighty per cent of the $3 million cost is covered by the federal government's Green and Inclusive Community Building Fund.
The work is expected to cut net annual greenhouse gas emissions by 276 tonnes, and reduce utility costs by $128,000 a year.
"We are lessening our environmental footprint with the facility operations, while also making it more modern, inclusive and inviting for patrons," said Kelvin Jankowski, the city's construction services supervisor.
He noted that the project was scheduled for the summer in order to minimize the impact, since there are more outdoor recreation options available including beaches, pools, splash pads and trails.
Jankowski has predicted that because of its age, the 42-year-old building will require additional large upgrades periodically over the coming decade in order to keep it operating efficiently.
