The Town of Ponoka’s plans to reopen the Aquaplex for limited public use aren’t affected by new provincial health restrictions announced April 6.
The town sent out a press release about its plans to reopen the pool earlier in the day, before the province announced it would be moving back to Step 1 of the provincial government’s COVID-19 health restrictions.
“The Aquaplex will reopen as planned for small-group lessons, private and semi-private lessons, Junior Lifeguard Club and private facility rentals in accordance with current provincial health regulations and guidelines,” the town confirmed in a press release April 7.
All of the activities that the Aquaplex will be offering are permitted under Step 1.
Beginning April 7, the pool will be available for private facility rentals as well as one-hour private and semi-private lessons.
Private facility rentals have been reduced in price from $110 per hour to $46 to encourage more families to use the Aquaplex on weekdays. Only guests living in the same household are permitted to share a private booking.
The hot tub and wading pool will only be open for private household rentals at this time. The rope and diving board will remain unavailable.
Swim lessons and Junior Lifeguard Club (JLC) begin April 16.
Registration is now open for JLC and swim lessons for pre-school levels up to Swim Kids 6.
Only three or four children will be permitted in each swimming lesson due to provincial COVID-19 restrictions under Step 1. A caregiver, aged 16 or older, will be required to accompany children into the water for all pre-school lessons and Swim Kids 1 to 4.
Additional COVID-19 measures will be in place to help protect the safety of users and staff.
Swimmers are asked to arrive no more than five minutes before their scheduled times and guests are required to come dressed for swimming as change room and locker access will not be available prior to using the pools.
Other measures include requiring all users to take a soapy shower before entering the pool and signing in at the front desk for notification purposes should an outbreak occur.
For more details about measures in place, or how to register for lessons or rentals, visit ponoka.ca.
Improvements
“We are excited to welcome pool users back to the Aquaplex and show them the extensive improvements and upgrades that we’ve been working on,” said Andrew Jones, recreation coordinator, in a release.
“It really does look and feel like a different facility and we’re excited to show it off.”
The improvements and upgrades that have been completed include:
- A completely resurfaced and refinished pool deck with a new thermoplastic, slip-resistant coating;
- A fully resurfaced and refurbished wading pool with a durable new thermoplastic coating for a smoother, more comfortable user experience for families and children enjoying the wading pool;
- A new rooftop HVAC system that regulates airflow, temperature and humidity for greater comfort and user
enjoyment at the Aquaplex;
- New edging around the main pool, deep tank and wading pool;
- New depth markers around the deep tank and main pool; and
- Painting and general maintenance throughout the facility.