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Revelstoke’s latest attraction is all wet
Sunday, July 3rd, 2005 by GetawayBC.com
After 20 years of dreaming and a year of construction marred by minor controversies over cost over-runs and missed opening dates Revelstoke’s new Aquatic Centre has finally opened to the public.
And what a centre it is.
The “pool,” as most people refer to it is much, much more than just that. It has a sauna, Turkish bath, water slide, Lazy River, 25-metre main pool, a diving board, climbing wall, children’s wading pool and an even shallower area for parents with infants.
Originally budgeted at $5.3 million the pool ultimately cost about $6.5 million, much of that due to higher-than-expected labour and material costs that escalated last summer due to the province’s improved economic condition.
The project was also plagued by labour shortages. Throughout much of the summer the project was under-manned. And that, plus the higher costs, pushed the official opening back from September to November, then December to January and finally, March 5.
Was the wait worth it?
That depends upon your point of view.
Although 75 per cent of voters voted to give the City permission to borrow $3.5 million to build the pool in a 2002 referendum, there was a small core of opposition to the project. Still it retained wide support within the community and was viewed as one of the most important development projects of the last decade.
As mentioned above, the Aquatic Centre has a lot of features that mid functionality with entertainment. And all of that takes place within a very impressive physical setting.
The decor consists of rock-like sculptures, some pretty convincing fake trees, banners hanging from the ceiling, floor-to-ceiling murals of mountain scenes and a wall of colourful tiles made by local school children. And to top it off there are fantastic views of the Columbia River, Mount MacPherson and Mount Begbie to the west. In short it is beautiful and surely will be the envy of other communities in the region.
This project demonstrated yet again that Revelstoke knows how to organize and complete major developments.
About $2 million in funding came from the
federal- provincial Infrastructure program. Some if twas borrowed from conventional lending sources. And a lot of cash was donated by individual citizens and local organizations.
The Kokanee Committee and the Rotary Club, for instance, each kicked in $50,000 and local school kids raised $10,000 to purchase the climbing wall that hangs over part of the main pool’s deep end.
That feature alone is a big attraction for local youths. And then there’s the water slide, which was inaugurated by Mayor Mark McKee.
If you haven’t already tried it out, come on down and make a splash!;