We have reached that magical time of year known as pool shutdown, and for those of you unaware of this annual occurrence, don’t despair — we are almost at the halfway point. This is the time of year when all the pool basins are drained, inspected, scrubbed and disinfected along with any necessary repairs done. Along with the pools, all the decks are scrubbed, as well as windows and walls cleaned way up high, pipes wiped down and this year we are changing out all the bulbs over the pools.
I know some of you have noticed a few of the bulbs tend to kick off for about 45 seconds then relight for a couple minutes then repeat which is a pretty clear indication that bulb is begging for an assisted suicide. While the original pool design placed most of the fixtures above deck space specifically for access, it is still a challenge to change some of the bulbs; thus it becomes a shutdown scenario where we can spend time setting up proper equipment. The astute swimmers will notice we have some fixtures above the pool but those lights are rarely used in order to conserve life but still be available should the need arise. You may also have noticed that the bulbs above the leisure pool are more orangey while the ones over the lap pool are whiter. This is not because Bulbs ’R’ Us ran out of one colour; it is an architectural feature that casts a warmer light over the leisure pool where everyone is having fun and a whiter, more businesslike luminosity over the real serious, don’t-get-in-my-way swimmers.
We are pretty low-key as far as yearly pool repairs are concerned; face it, we are only a little over four years old and everything was built to a pretty high standard. In the back, there is some chemical tubing that needs replacing, as well as the sand filters are opened up, cleaned and examined along with ultraviolet systems and general pump maintenance. The locker rooms are scrubbed down even more intensely than we do on a daily basis and any necessary touchups to paint or grout are made at that time.
The fall leisure guide was mailed out to everyone the latter part of August and classes have already begun to fill up. If you did not receive a copy or have some questions or want to register, stop by the front counter and we’ll do our best to help you. There are a pile of programs to choose from; some old, some new and some requested by you, as well as all our fall special events, including our second annual health and wellness fair. Last year gave us some good insight on the fair and we have tweaked it to make it even better based on yours and exhibitors’ feedback. It definitely is gaining momentum — and what better subject than your health? Anyway, I will touch upon the fair a bit more as it gets closer but if you want more info or want to display, contact Andrea at 250-428-7127 or crestonrec@rdck.bc.ca.
Neil Ostafichuk is the recreation supervisor at the Creston and District Community Complex.