Andrew Raven
Northern News Services

Fort Providence (Sep 09/05) - After nearly four years without a community swimming pool, the voices of dozens of children echoed through a new $610,000 facility in Fort Providence last week for the first time.

"The kids were really excited," said pool supervisor Charlene Bonnetrouge last Friday. The Mackenzie River hamlet had been without a pool since 2001 when health officials closed the previous mold-infested facility. Construction on the new pool began last summer, though labour shortages pushed the official opening back two months.

Excitement in the community built as the completion date neared, said Albert Lafferty, senior administrative officer with the hamlet.

"Certainly people have been eagerly anticipating the opening," said Lafferty.

The territorial government covered most of the building costs, though community members raised $105,000 for the seasonal facility, which Bonnetrouge hoped would remain open until early October.

"It depends on the weather though," she said.

The 15x7 metre pool was packed with children and adults last week, Bonnetrouge said. There are open swims nearly every day - the pool is closed Mondays though - and special times for mothers and newborns.