The Town of Outlook鈥檚 new swimming pool facility has reached troubled waters with the announcement made last week; the opening of the pool has been delayed until 2019.
A long winter in this part of the province and unseasonal weather conditions are the main culprits behind the action taken by the town.聽 The targeted completion date of the facility was originally going to be July 1 鈥� as everyone crossed their collective fingers 鈥� but Mother Nature and Old Man Winter extended their stay in the region and pushed that date to August.聽 With that knowledge, the pool was only going to be open for roughly four weeks this summer, so the decision was reached to wait until the facility was 100% completed and hold the grand opening early next summer.
The announcement letter posted on the Town of Outlook鈥檚 Facebook page states the following:
鈥淒ear Town of Outlook Residents:
This letter is to inform the general public, and the residents of the Town of Outlook, as well as the RM of Rudy and the RM of Fertile Valley of the delayed pool opening.
The original projected completion date for the new pool was July 1st, 2018.聽 However, the unseasonably long winter conditions have interfered with the proposed construction schedule, and therefore the earliest possible completion date of the pool will be early August, 2018.聽 Council decided an announcement had to be made so families could register for swimming lessons and lifeguards could find summer jobs elsewhere.
Town of Outlook Council was forced to make a decision to only open the pool for a maximum of four (4) weeks in summer 2018, or to wait until the pool project was fully completed and hold the Pool Grand Opening in Early Summer 2019.
At the April 11, 2018, Town of Outlook Council Meeting the Council passed the following motion:
#233-18 "That Council declares that the Town of Outlook Pool will not be opened in 2018 due to weather delays."
Council will hold the New Swimming Pool Grand Opening in Early Summer 2019."
The letter was signed by Recreation Director Jordy Jones.
It鈥檚 the news that local swimmers in Outlook and the surrounding area likely don鈥檛 want to hear, but it鈥檚 simply the reality surrounding the project.
People in the community who are directly connected to the new swimming pool are undoubtedly disappointed, but there鈥檚 also a prerogative to look ahead to the future and maintain a 鈥榞ood things come to those who wait鈥� kind of mindset; staying positive in the hopes that when the pool *does* open its doors, it鈥檚 100% open for both business and pleasure.
鈥淚 guess there鈥檚 some disappointment, but we鈥檙e not the ones who make that decision,鈥� said Tony Peter of the Pool Fundraising Committee.聽 鈥淭here are negatives, sure, and that means it鈥檚 now three years without any swimming in Outlook.聽 A positive would be though that it鈥檒l be 100% ready by next spring, and now perhaps there鈥檚 a possibility of opening even earlier.聽 It could even be all tested this fall so that they know of any glitches that need to be worked out.鈥�
The other positive from Peter鈥檚 point of view is that the fundraising committee has roughly another year to raise money in order to completely pay off the project.
鈥淪o we have a period of time, about another full year to raise more money, which is good because we NEED more money,鈥� he said.聽 鈥淭he need for it is there.聽 As far as fundraising goes, there has been some talk about maybe doing an auction event in the fall, and now that the pool is delayed, it brings the idea forward more as an option.聽 However, we can鈥檛 really do a lot of fundraising out in the district because it鈥檚 seeding time, and those people will want to get going on that really soon.聽 After that, you get the summer holidays where people are go-go-go again, so it just comes down to really sitting down and planning something.鈥�
In the wake of the news surrounding Outlook鈥檚 pool, officials with the Kenaston swimming pool are asking any lifeguards and swimming teachers to forward their resumes on to them if they鈥檙e looking for summer work, as that facility expects to be open by June 1.聽 Now that the Outlook pool won鈥檛 open this year, Kenaston expects to be busy this summer with kids and families.
