On August 31, 2023, the Town of Fort Frances released a bid and tender seeking a reputable general construction contractor to complete natatorium rehabilitation at the Memorial Sports Centre.
Structural repairs to the natatorium superstructure, HVAC improvements, localized pool wall crack injection and repair, installation of polyurea pool liner, miscellaneous pool deck repairs and drainage improvements, pool chemical containment upgrades and accessibility improvements were the works listed for the project.
Currently, the bid is still open and will remain open until October 3, 2023, at 2 p.m.
A mandatory site meeting for interested bidders to review existing conditions and proposed works takes place on September 13, 2023, at 2 p.m. at the Memorial Sports Centre natatorium.
So far, the town has received 6 plan takers for the bid.
Amongst those who are interested in completing the construction work include ConstructConnect, Construction Association of Thunder Bay, Gagnon & Associates Inc., Hastings Painting Corporation, M Builds and The Proposal Lab—most based in the southern Ontario region or Thunder Bay.
In an online forum, some residents expressed displeasure at the timeline of the project. They had hoped that pool renovations could be completed during the summer rather than winter, and suggested that swim classes and programs may be stopped for months until the project is completed.
Others expressed the need for an entirely new pool.
