Aging Kensington pool getting up to $20K in repairs

The aging E.V.K. Memorial Pool in Kensington, P.E.I., is undergoing some repair work that will costthe town between $15,000 and$20,000.

GeoffBaker, Kensington's chief administrative officer, says contractors have had to hammer out some concreteto inspect and work on one of the pipes. They are going to replace the coping mechanism on one end of the pooland will need to reinstate the concrete once the repair work is complete.

The facility is approximately 30 years old.

"I think the crux of the problem really is the age of the pool," said Baker.

"It's a wet area generally around the poolso with the freezing and thawingthe concrete heaves and cracks and the deck gets uneven and things of that nature, so the pipes that supply the pool are underneath, inside the concrete," he said.

"With that freezing and thawing, the pipes have the ability to crack."

Hoping to open July 1

The outdoor swimming pool is funded through property tax dollars and normally costs the town approximately $25,000 per year to operate, with most of that going towardslabour costs.

This year's repair expenditures are in addition to those regular annual costs.

Though Baker said that the repair is not a huge concern for the town, he does anticipate that the future of the facility is a conversation that town council will want to have down the road.

"I would anticipate within the next threeto fiveyears maybe, town council will want to deliberate on the future of the pool," he said.

"As to whether we will maintain the existing pool facility, whether or not we'll want to construct a new pool in another location or in the same location, or whether or not it's a service that we want to continue to provide to residents of Kensington and residents of the area."

Baker said the immediate goal is to have the pool open for useJuly 1.

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