Memorial Sports Centre pool to be closed for winter

Town of Fort Frances
Press release

The Pool portion of the Memorial Sports Centre will be closing for renovations effective November 6th , 2023. The work was put out for public tender in the fall of 2023 and subsequently awarded to M Builds on October 10, 2023.

The work to be completed includes the following:

  • Replacement of failed structural roof columns.
  • Injecting pool cracks with epoxy sealant
  • Replacement of the pool liner
  • Replacement of HVAC Duct work
  • Replacement of pool deck and under deck piping.
  • Replacement of pool deck fixtures to meet code requirements.

Work is currently scheduled to take 20 to 22 weeks for completion with a re-opening tentatively scheduled for the middle of March 2024.

On April 14, 2023, the Town received a letter from structural engineers and designers, JML Engineering, advising that the deterioration of the structural roof columns is severe enough that the building is unsafe for human occupation with any snow loading on the roof and therefore would have to be closed for the duration of the winter. This situation was found during detailed investigation activities related to the design works for renovation which resulted in additional design works needing to be completed, delaying the overall completion of the design works and subsequent tendering. The contractor will be erecting temporary shoring to carry the roof loads and attacking the worst columns first to ensure the building stability while the remainder of the work is completed.

We are working to develop alternate program offerings during this necessary shut down and apologize for the impact that this work will cause the public users. The Town of Fort Frances appreciates the community’s understanding and patience as we ensure a safe facility for all patrons upon reopening.