There are few things more refreshing on a hot summer day than cannonballing into a swimming pool.
The municipal swimming pool in Huntingdon has been offering citizens this relief free of charge since it was first opened on Russell Island in 1968 following a fundraising campaign by the Rotary Club and the town.
According to Huntingdon director general Johanne Hebert, there have not been any major investments in the pool since it was installed almost 60 years ago. She explained that the council is now looking to remedy this.
The town has applied to the provincial government’s financial assistance program for recreational, sports, and outdoor infrastructure to help cover the costs to significantly renovate the pool. The project will improve the services offered to residents, enhance user safety, and ensure the facilities comply with contemporary standards.
The planned work includes replacing the asphalt surface surrounding the pool with a concrete surface that is better suited to an aquatic environment, replacing the fence surrounding the pool, replacing the septic tank, refinishing the locker room floors with an epoxy coating, and repaving the parking lot.
“You could say it will be a fresh new look,” said Hebert, before noting the town already installed a new slide at the pool for this season.
Before applying to the program, the town assessed the overall condition of its infrastructure and related equipment. The total anticipated costs of the renovations are just over $378,530. The town has applied for the government to cover 66 per cent of the costs, or just under $250,000, while the municipality will pay the remaining 34 per cent, which amounts to $128,701.
Several municipalities in the MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent have invested in recent years in splash-pad infrastructure; however, the Huntingdon pool is the only public municipal facility of its type in the region.
“Our pool is free. There are a lot of people who might not be able to afford to go to the huge water parks. We also have a lot of young people who come on their own without their parents,” said Hebert, who notes there are regularly upwards of 150 swimmers per day who rely on the pool during the high season.
“It meets the needs of a lot of people, and it is within our means as well,” Hebert said, noting it costs the town around $35,000 per year to operate the pool.
The town is now waiting for a response from the government to the funding request. If the province responds positively, the work could be completed before the end of the year.