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New look coming to Canada Games Aquatic Centre

New look coming to Canada Games Aquatic Centre

The Canada Games Aquatic Centre will be getting a facelift starting in February.

"We have a lot of things coming up," said CEO Gary Leslie, including a new mezzanine overlooking the competitive pool, improvements to change huts, updates for the multipurpose room and new fitness equipment.

The work will be undertaken with $380,000 from the City of Saint John capital budget and Canada 150 grants.

"That will allow us to upgrade the centre immensely," Leslie said, "and our membership will benefit for it."

New mezzanine, functional training room

The new mezzanine will be an area where parents and spectators can "come, sit down, have a coffee and sit on normal chairs instead of along the benches," Leslie said. The glassed-in area will "allow them to have a bird's-eye view of what's going on without any metal barriers," he said.

A new functional training room — a mini-gym designed to provide a CrossFit-style full-body workout — will attract sports teams and other athletic groups, said Leslie.

"We want to be able to accommodate every possible fitness style: aqua, land, spin, dance, sports teams," Leslie said. "We're going to be looking at agility and speed tools for athletes, as well as high-intensity and core-specific training."

The new fitness equipment, which will be leased for about $48,000 a year, is expected to arrive after the March break.

Minimal disruption

The renovations, scheduled to begin in the first week of February, are expected to cause minimal disruptions for patrons.

Most of the work will be done after hours, Leslie said, and will be complete within a few days. There will be no increase in membership fees, although it's hoped the improvements will increase the appeal.

Swimmers will still have access to the main changing rooms, as well as temporary changing facilities along the side of the pools, while the work is underway.

"We are really decking it out and looking forward to a change we can offer to the Saint John community," Leslie said.

"It's been a long time coming, but it's only the start of what we have to do at the Canada Games Aquatic Centre."