New Y sure to make a splash
Published Wednesday August 3rd, 2011
Therapeutic | One of the two pools in building first of its kind in region
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By STEPHEN LLEWELLYN
[email protected]
The only variable depth, therapeutic swimming pool in Atlantic Canada is getting the last of its bright blue tiles installed this week at the $20-million Fredericton YMCA building.
The pool floor, which will be raised and lowered hydraulically while under the water, will be installed in a few weeks after the tile grout is cured.
The building on Albert Street is expected to open next month.
"It's incredibly versatile," said YMCA CEO Kathy Russell on Tuesday about the new therapeutic pool.
"We've talked to people who have these pools and they're really happy. They'd never go back to having a normal pool.
"We're the first ones in Atlantic Canada."
The pool floor will displace the water as it rises and falls.
"It's a pool that's really intended for multiple populations," said Russell. "The floor will move up and down within a matter of minutes.
"For example, we could have a deep-water aquafit class in for one hour for seniors and then the following hour, we could be programming for infants or preschool age children at two feet."
Elementary schoolchildren will have the pool set for one metre for their swim lessons, she said.
The new building has two pools.
In addition to the smaller therapeutic pool, there's a 25-metre main pool. The old building on Saunders Street has a 17-metre pool.
The main pool in the new Y building also has a built-in ramp to make it accessible. The old pool had a temporary ramp that had to be put in and taken out.
The smaller pool will be heated to 88 degrees and the larger pool will be 82 degrees, said Russell.
There are also huge floor-to-ceiling windows in the pool room facing Dundonald Street to let in lots of natural light.
Russell said the building was designed to let in as much light as possible.
"It's really nice. It's always a balance between energy efficiency and having natural light."
The building is as environmentally friendly as possible. It has motion sensors to turn off lights when rooms aren't in use.
In addition to the pools, the building has a large exercise and dance studio, a full-size gymnasium and two squash courts on the main floor.
A wellness centre, a smaller exercise and dance studio and a new child-care centre built specifically for preschool age children are located upstairs, said Russell.
There are also multipurpose rooms and a kitchen.
"We are four weeks away from completion so it is pretty exciting. We have a lot of work still to do inside but it's coming together.
"We expect to open for public tours on the sixth of September, right after Labour Day."
The date the building will be open for use hasn't been firmed up.
"It's likely it's going to be Sept. 19, but it's a moving target right now until we get some more information," she said.
"The community's been great in terms of supporting the project and the contractors have been good.
"I really pleased with the progress."
Russell said the building is about two months behind schedule but that isn't unusual for a project of this scale.
She said the YMCA is planning a membership drive this fall to coincide with the opening of the building.
"We are really hoping to target families," said Russell. "One of our new membership categories is called early years. It starts at birth and goes until kindergarten."
"It is an age group we feel needs to be programmed for more in Fredericton."
She said they have about 3,600 members and they could handle up to 5,000.
Fredericton Mayor Brad Woodside said Tuesday the YMCA has always been an important part of the community.
"I'm very excited about the potential of the new opening and what that means for the community and looking forward to it," he said.
The mayor also praised J.W. (Bud) Bird, who chaired the fundraising campaign that raised the money for the building.
"Bud Bird is a tremendous asset to this community," Woodside said.
"He was in my office quite often and talking to council ... and is probably why they are where they are with this whole program."
The old YMCA building on Saunders Street is for sale, said Russell.
"We're optimistic," she said. "We are talking with one group right now."
She said the pool in the old building will probably have to be decommissioned but the gym will probably be used as a gym because there's a high demand for such space in the community.
The remaining space will likely be used for office space and multipurpose rooms, she said.
http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/cityregion/article/1428800
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