Get your swimsuits ready, Athabasca.
At a joint meeting June 7, the councils from Athabasca County and Town of Athabasca voted to accept a $15,295,000 bid to build the new pool facility.
In Athabasca County council chambers, the two councils voted separately to accept the bid from Clark Builders, “and authorize administration to enter into a Design Build contract.”
“I just really believe it’s an amazing example of progressive thinking and working together, and collaborating for the greater good,” county Reeve Doris Splane said after the meeting.
“Based on the numbers I see here, I see this as very favourable on the Town of Athabasca,” Mayor Roger Morrill said during the meeting. “I see it (as) very affordable based on what the current rate would be (for) the debenture … That’s something that will serve this community for years to come. I have no problems putting my full and total support behind this project.”
Behind the numbers
According to estimates in a town and county administration report, the total estimated capital cost of the pool and fitness centre project, including furnishings, could go as high as $16,381,915. Based on the 60/40 split – which councils agreed on in October – the county would pay $9,829,149 while the town would pay $6,552,766.
If the built-in “contingency” provided with Clark Builders’ bid is not needed, the total cost would be $15,617,165. Based on the 60/40 split, the county would pay $9,370,299, while the town would pay $6,246,866.
The report also said total costs to date on the project are about $440,000.
Opposition
Coun. Tanu Evans was the only town councillor to oppose the motion, while Councillors Jack Dowhaluk and Paul Ponich opposed the county’s motion.
Athabasca County Coun. Kevin Haines was not present at the meeting.
Dowhaluk pointed out that initially, the county was looking to spend $5 million on the pool. He said although he would “love a swimming pool,” the county should invest in other necessities, like infrastructure.
“Is that what we’re doing – is building a swimming pool for doctors?” Dowhaluk said. “How about the farmers in Wandering River? How about the farmers in Caslan? Let’s give our head a shake. You know, you look at the infrastructure in the eastern part of the county, and other parts of the county, it’s deteriorated to a point where it’s a total disaster.”
Evans noted that during 2014 plebiscite, town residents voted to support a debenture for a new pool up to $5 million. He said if council wanted to exceed that amount, he believed there should be another plebiscite.
“I’m just going to say I’d like it to go back to the town, the population of the town,” he said. “I think this project has gone above and beyond what this community needs for our size and our population. It’s overkill. It’s just kind of shocking that what was once a $10-million project has turned into a $20-15 million.”
‘For my grandkids’
Athabasca County Coun. Denis Willcott said he had heard from people who were going to St. Albert or Westlock for their pools. He said in order to keep professionals around, the community needs a pool.
“You’ve got to make a choice,” he said. “For my grandkids and all that, I want the pool.”
Town Coun. Shelly Gurba said she supported the pool project as she thought the costs would rise if it were built any later.
“I’m definitely for the pool,” she said. “I think the economy is on an upswing now, and if we delay this the costs are definitely going to increase ... I think this town and county does deserve a first-class swimming facility and an actual exercise area as well.”
County Coun. Larry Speers said he supported the pool project, but he said he was disappointed by the lack of regional water in Rochester.
“I wouldn’t vote to kill this project, that’s for sure. But I do think that the costs can come down and the fundraising can go up, and if we can do that and everybody works together we can build a pool,” he said. “But I still feel bad. I feel that I’ve failed ... to get municipal water to Rochester.”
Splane also said she was initially not for the pool, but changed her mind after speaking with one of her children.
“I was brought up short by one of my own children, who said to me, ‘Mom, you realize that if it wasn’t for that pool was here at that time –that kept us out of a lot of trouble,’” she said at the meeting.
Coun. Tim Verhaeghe also said that when he was growing up in Plamondon, he would come to Athabasca for swimming lessons.
Land transfer
While the project has been approved, the land where the pool is set to be built still belongs officially to Athabasca University.
In an interview after the meeting, Splane said she has been assured by the new university president that all is OK, but the municipalities are still waiting for the provincial Order in Council, which would be signed off by cabinet, to move the land over to the municipalities.
“The Order in Council, I would like to see go through, or at least an amendment to the lease agreement,” she said.
