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The winning bid on the contract to build the Inuvik Family Centre, which will look similar to this artist's rendering, was awarded to Vancouver-based Ninety North Construction Ltd. The bid came in at $8 million and construction is slated to begin in about two weeks. - Image courtesy of Guy Architects

Bottom line on the deep end

Council approves $8 million pool

Terry Halifax
Northern News Services

Inuvik (May 30/03) - It's going to cost about $2 million more than originally planned, but Inuvik will be getting a new pool.

Council agreed unanimously to approve a bid of $8 million from Ninety North Construction Ltd., which also built the Arctic Tern young offenders centre as well as the recently completed hospital.

Other bids submitted came from Dowland Contracting Ltd. and Ketza Construction Ltd.

While the bid comes in about $2 million more than council had originally planned to spend, council said they have the money to spend.

A referendum gave the town approval to get debenture financing of $5 million and fundraising efforts has brought in about $500,000 so far, leaving a shortfall of $2.5 million.

At a public meeting held last Tuesday, Coun. Denny Rodgers said they can make up that short fall a number of ways.

"We can use the town's cash deposits; we do have approximately $2.5 million in the bank," Rodgers said.

Another option would be using the town's line of credit, secured by land inventory and repaid through land sales.

Financing the $2.5 million would cost about $75,000.

Rodgers said the land sales have averaged about $1.7 million and they have about $4 million in saleable land on inventory.

"Now's the time to do it," Rodgers said. "We have the numbers and if anything, these numbers are very conservative."

Resident David Musselwhite questioned the new price tag on the centre.

"We were going to borrow $5 million and $1 million was going to be raised with fundraising; which would make it a $6 million project," "This is what council has promise the public and I feel that this is like what every politician and any government, what we're told and what we're shown is two different things."

"Why aren't we building a $6 million pool?"

Rodgers admitted that the $6 million figure was a guess to what the building would cost, but said the money is there to build the $8 million building and they should proceed.

"Whether it's $6 million or $8 million, the question is, 'Do we have the money?'" Rodgers said. "We do and we should build it."

Coun. Arlene Hansen said the bids came in higher than expected, but the community has asked for the new complex, so council should proceed.

"We know we've found a way to make it work without any detriment to our community," Hansen said. "We're not being politicians and hiding it."

Resident Ron Morrison asked if there was any guarantees written into the contract that would allow for a certain percentage of local help to be hired.

Mayor Peter Clarkson said there was nothing specific in the contract, but historically, Ninety North has hired mostly local firms as sub contractors.

Clarkson said the facility will add a valuable perk to add to the recruitment and retention of professionals considering moving to Inuvik.

"First they ask what are the schools like and the second questions is, 'Do you have a year-round pool?' " Clarkson said.

He also said the pool will be a boon to local business. With people coming from all over the region to swim, they will also shop while in town.

Council presented estimated annual operating costs from a comparison with Yellowknife and Hay River's pools as well as input from the public works department.

Town Manager Jerry Veltman said they budgeted using "conservative numbers," projecting a 20 per cent recovery from admissions and memberships bought at the facility.

Hansen said they based the rate of $4.50 per adult swim based on what Yellowknife and Hay River charge.

A recorded vote was called and all voted in favour of awarding the contract.