“Ongoing power fluctuations and shutdowns” have caused so much damage to equipment that Fort Smith’s pool must shut down for repairs, the town said on Thursday.
Officials said the closure could last for months.
Fort Smith has endured a series of brownouts and blackouts in recent weeks, culminating in an outage that lasted for seven hours in some parts of the town earlier in January.
The NWT Power Corporation has attribute at least part of the problem to wear and tear on the town’s diesel generators, which are in constant use as the hydro plant that normally supplies power has been undergoing renovation work for almost two years. (The plant is due to come back online within the next month.)
In a Thursday update, the town said equipment at the municipal pool had “suffered repeated damage” through the various outages.
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“The team has been doing their very best to address these issues but there is now a backorder on necessary parts. Due to this unavoidable situation, the William Schaefer Memorial Pool will close starting Sunday, January 19,” the town wrote.
No firm reopening date has been set, but the town said its supplier estimated delivery of replacement parts “by April 2025,” implying a months-long closure.
The town said it would use the closure to complete annual maintenance and other work, eliminating the need for another shutdown until 2026 if all goes to plan.
“We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding as we work to improve the facility,” Thursday’s statement concluded.
Residents who want to freeze their membership can do so by calling 867-872-8228.
