FORT SIMPSON - When the new pool is built in Fort Simpson, swimmers can look forward to having twice the amount of room to get wet in.

The planned pool will be 40 by 60 feet or approximately 250 square metres. The current pool is only 20 by 30 feet.

Fort Simpson's current pool is only half the size of the pool that is being designed to take its place. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

Taller swimmers will also be in luck. The new pool's deep end will reach six feet compared to the current average depth of three feet.

Information on the pool was made available on July 3 during a public meeting. Held at the village office, the meeting gave community members an opportunity to provide input into the final design of the pool.

Brad Mueller, from Dillon Consulting Ltd., who will be the project manager for the pool, presented a pre-design report on the structure.

The pool will be seasonal and above ground. The stand- alone building that will house the pool will have a footprint of approximately 700 square metres. The pool is expected to be built near the tennis court beside Bompas elementary school.

As a seasonal pool, the structure will be suitable for use from June to September, similar to the current season, said Mueller.

The five community members who attended the public meeting suggested a number of changes to the structure after looking over the blueprints.

Changes might be made to the jacuzzi that is currently planned to sit in one of the corners of the shallow end of the pool.

Shane Thompson questioned if there is a need for a jacuzzi. If elders are expected to use it they need to be consulted on whether or not it's something they're interested in, Thompson said.

If it's used it will be a great way to get them into the facility, said Thompson, a senior recreation development officer with MACA.

Val Gendron and Deborah Stipdonk spoke in favour of the jacuzzi, but Gendron asked that it be moved out of the pool.

A jacuzzi would make the facility more conducive for family interaction, said Gendron. She suggested moving the jacuzzi so that it won't take up lane space in the pool.

Gendron and Stipdonk also suggested that an extra metre be added to the building on the far end of the pool for safety reasons.

"If there was ever an accident and you needed more people at that end of the pool it would be hard to manoeuver," said Stipdonk.

Other suggestions were also practical.

Stipdonk asked if there was space in the change rooms to place lockers to store personal effects.

"We lose a lot of time as volunteers looking for shoes in bushes," said Stipdonk referring the current practice of leaving shoes outside of the pool building.

The variety of suggestions will be taken into account in the next draft of the building, said Mueller. Community members will have another chance to make comments before the final drawings are made.

Prior to the changes, the cost of the pool was estimated at $1,173,000.

This amount is more than the village's $1 million share of the community capacity building fund that was to be used to fund both the cement slab for the arena and a skateboard park, in addition to the pool.

If village council decides to go ahead with the structure the village will have to borrow money, said Mayor Duncan Canvin.

The expenditure is warranted, he said.

"There comes a time when you want to build a building that will serve the future as well as the present," said Canvin.