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ALDERGROVE Your Hometown Community Newspaper for over 56 Years
| Thursday, June 18, 2015
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Council unveils new Aldergrove rec centre Aldergrove Star
KURT LANGMANN PHOTO
Donna McRae of Aldergrove’s “Monkey’s Lunch” team runs home past catcher Shelby MacLean (of Sophie’s Place) in the charity softball game against the celebrity team, held during the Aldergrove Days Slo Pitch Tournament, Saturday, June 13 at Parkside’s ball diamonds. More inside this issue.
Township of Langley residents will have a new recreation centre in Aldergrove, beginning in May of 2018. This new Township facility will feature a two-level, 550-seat arena and events space, a fitness centre, walking surface, multi-purpose rooms, and an outdoor aquatic facility featuring a six-lane 25 metre pool, waterslides, a tidal pool, current channel, childrens’ aqua structure, picnic areas, and large playground. Plans for the Aldergrove Recreation Centre were announced by Mayor Jack Froese and members of Township of Langley Council during a special unveiling event held at the Aldergrove Kinsmen Community Centre on Wednesday, June 17. The new recreation complex and aquatic facility has been approved for construction on the former Aldergrove Elementary School site at 27032 Fraser Highway, and is scheduled to be completed in 2018. The facility was unanimously approved by Township Council, after years of planning, research, consultation, and community input. Council and staff have worked extensively to plan and design a one of a kind facility, and it is great news for all residents that the facility will be accommodated within existing Township budget envelopes. The budget for construction of the project is $25.789 million.
Of the $25.789 million required to build the complex, $24.589 million will be funded by land sales, primarily from the sale of surplus Township properties in East Langley. A further $1.2 million will be funded by Township operations surpluses. “The centre will provide leisure and recreation activities for people of all ages and interests, all year round,” said Township of Langley Mayor Jack Froese. “The centre has been planned and designed to be unique and provide something that Township residents cannot experience elsewhere, and to complement and add to the already extensive inventory of recreation and aquatic opportunities available in the Township.” “Residents of all ages will come to Aldergrove to enjoy the diverse nature of this new facility, which will become a significant attraction for downtown Aldergrove,” Froese said. “It will allow Aldergrove residents to ‘play local’, and will create a destination that will not only attract thousands of visitors to the community, but will be a step towards the revitalization of Aldergrove’s downtown core and enhancing economic development in the area.” The outdoor aquatic facility will replace the 50 year old Aldergrove outdoor pool with a sixlane, 25-metre outdoor leisure pool that will be open year round and has the capacity to accommodate swim clubs. SEE: Page 3
Problems at outdoor pool By DAN FERGUSON Aldergrove Star
More problems with cloudy water have delayed the opening of the Aldergrove outdoor pool by six days until Sunday, June 21. An unsigned memo from the recreation, culture and parks department to Township council reports an attempt to fix a paint problem that forced repeated shutdowns last summer has failed and more work will be required. Fresh paint applied to the walls of the pool leached into the water last year, making it cloudy. While the cloudiness didn’t present a health hazard to swimmers, it was con-
sidered a safety issue because it made it impossible for lifeguards to see the bottom of the pool. Based on consultations with other municipalities and painting contractors it appears it was a case of poor preparation of the pool surface before painting and failing to give the paint enough to cure before the pool was filled with water, the memo discloses. The municipal department hired a contractor to properly prepare the surface and repaint the pool before the 2015 season. The work needed 10 days of warm weather to make sure the paint was properly cured. By the end of May, the work was done
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and municipal staff filled and heated the pool. “ … everything [was] looking treat until late last week when the cloudiness returned” the memo says. The pool has been drained and the contractor has applied a coating of sealant over the paint. Once the sealant is cured, the pool will be refilled. “We are very hopeful that this course of action will solve the water clarity issue and there will be no need for further closures” the memo states. The outdoor pool in Fort Langley has experienced the same problem and has also had a coat of sealant applied. It will open as scheduled on June 22.
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KURT LANGMANN PHOTO
Aldergrove’s outdoor swimming pool received another coat of sealant paint on the weekend, for its re-scheduled opening Sunday, June 21. The Philip Jackman Spray Park next to the pool at 27155 - 32 Avenue was also closed over the weekend due to maintenance issues, but re-opened Monday, June 15 and is now open daily until 8:30 p.m.
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