Regina's Wascana Pool ready to make a splash
After two years, the wait for the new Wascana Pool is over, as the facility gets ready to make a splash at its official opening on June 8.
The facility is designed as one of the most accessible and inclusive facilities in the country, according to the City of Regina.
With zero depth entry options for all pools, accessible all gender washrooms and change rooms, as well as braille markings, the pool was designed with everyone in mind.
“We were able to make sure things like ramps into all the pools was there but there’s also these subtle things like the low fence around the playground as well as just braille in areas that you wouldn’t normally expect to have it, like locker tags,” said Eric de Waal, senior project manager.
Some other highlights include two nine storey tall waterslides, a lazy river, climbing wall, and a hot tub with therapy sprays. Additionally, there is a brand new playground and spray park right outside the pool facility opening the second week of June.
de Waal said those will also have accessible features.
“Things like ramp access to some of the features, we’ve got an inclusive swing that has a harness on that you can put folks in and swing them, as well as a wheelchair accessible merry-go-round,” he said.
Even though the pool will be opening soon, the project management team still plans to continue updating the facility, making it more accessible. Those plans include an elevator, which will help those with mobility issues enjoy the waterslide.
WATCH: After two years, the new Wascana Pool is ready to make a splash this summer. Hallee Mandryk has the details.
“There will be a lift on the top that will take the patron from the elevator onto the slide, and there is going to be another lift right where the open flow is to take them out of the slide and onto their wheelchair, or just take them out of the slide if they don’t have a wheelchair,”said Nives Ambrosia, project manager of facilities and engineering.
Sustainability was another big factor considered in the design of the facility. The pools are designed with a regenerative filtration system, making them both greener and safer.
The facility will also feature the city’s first recirculating spray pad.
After years of planning and construction, the project team expressed how excited they are to finally see their work come to fruition.
“Sometimes in the midst of it when you’re swearing at a contractor, you forget why you’re doing it all and so at the moment when those kids come on deck and see that everybody can see that and be so proud of that, so I’m pretty excited to just watch the kids enjoy this place,” de Waal said.
The project had a price tag of $16.4 million, with the provincial government providing $12 million in funding through the Municipal Economic Enhancement Program (MEE), and the City of Regina covering the remainder of the cost.
The facility will open on June 8, and a Grand Opening party will be held on June 15 from 2:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.