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Cambridge Bay swimming pool deemed unsafe, closed for rest of summer

cam bay pool 2
The water may look inviting but structural deficiencies have forced the Hamlet of Cambridge Bay to shut down the community swimming pool for the remainder of the summer. Navalik Tologanak/NNSL photo

Structural deficiencies at the base of the Cambridge Bay swimming pool have led the hamlet to close the facility for safety reasons for the duration of the summer.

The water may look inviting but structural deficiencies have forced the Hamlet of Cambridge Bay to shut down the community swimming pool for the remainder of the summer. Navalik Tologanak/NNSL photo

The decision was made Monday when it was detected that corrosion from chlorine had rotted away the structure at the bottom of the pool, said Marla Limousin, the community’s senior administrative officer.

“We probably need to get a new pool,” Limousin stated.

The swimming pool had opened for the season on July 1. It was scheduled to remain in use for the first three weeks of August.

There’s no option to convert to a waterfront program because lifeguards require specific training for outdoor supervision on the coastline, Limousin noted.

“Also the weather here has been cool and rainy, so it’s not a great option at the moment,” she said.

The pool staff consisted of three lifeguards brought up from the south and one local resident. As of earlier this week, the hamlet was still deciding how to deal with compensation for the lifeguards in light of the pool season concluding earlier than planned.

Cambridge Bay also endured the closure of its arena for a year and a half due to mould issues. That facility only reopened in March after a lengthy hiatus for remediation.

The community has been lobbying and fundraising for a new recreation complex.