Prepare for ‘actual opening’ of pool, Inuvik tells residents

The Town of Inuvik says this time, it’s for real: the municipal swimming pool will reopen and – fingers crossed – “return to being fully operational” in late February or early March.

Inuvik’s pool closed with the onset of Covid-19 in March 2020, then remained out of action when town staff decided to seize the opportunity and begin a “major overhaul” in October that year.

Leaking pipes and a shifting concrete foundation were part of the problem, the town said in 2021 as work continued. In 2022, senior administrator Grant Hood said the town was “making very good progress.”

Only now, though, does a full and worry-free reopening appear in sight.

“We have been able to achieve a major milestone in our rehabilitation project,” the town announced on Friday.

“After many months of renovation to the pool plumbing and trying to address other issues, we are confident we are at a point where the next step is to prepare for an actual opening and the return to being fully operational.”

Staff training and equipment testing will now begin, ahead of a thorough cleaning to rid the pool of the remaining debris from construction.

Lifeguards must also be certified – which may limit the number of people who can swim at once when the pool reopens, as lifeguards are in short supply nationwide and the number of pool occupants depends on the number of lifeguards on duty.

“There will be more to come as we get closer to the re-opening date,” the town concluded.

“Should all go well, we anticipate this to be in late February or early March.”