April 2019
Final details for the completion of the new pool and fitness centre are being addressed and Multiplex Facility Staff are getting ready to take over operation of mechanical systems in the facility. Pool maintenance staff completed several days of training to learn how to operate the state of the art equipment in the mechanical room of the pool. Pool programming staff are still to be trained on the safe use of the pool features and put in place processes for safety. Much of the fitness training equipment has already been placed in the Fitness Centre and everyone involved in the project continues to work towards the turnover of the facility from the design build team to the Town and County. A final commissioning meeting is scheduled in the coming weeks and staff are still working towards determining a public opening date for the facility.
March 2019
Construction is coming to a close on the pool area of the facility. Ceramic tile installation is completed and epoxy grouting is in its final stages of completion. A few acoustic panels and a light fixture above the water slide have been relocated to eliminate any headroom concerns at the top of the slide. Workers completed the installation of speakers in the pool auditorium.
Alberta Health Services inspected the facility on March 28th to review provisions for life safety. There were no issues to report from the inspection.
One of the last regular inspections by Group 2 took place in the admin areas, change rooms, and fitness centre. While a few deficiencies were noted and are being addressed, it is anticipated equipment and furnishings can start being installed during the first week of April. Clark Builders confirmed the pool fill will start on April 5th following a final cleaning of the tanks and area surrounding the pool.
A Commissioning Meeting was held on March 26th to provide updates on mechanical and electrical status. A miscalculation was noted in regards to the capacity of the lap pool heat exchanger. A replacement has been ordered and is expected to be available by the end of April which should not affect the substantial completion as scheduled.
December 2018
Millwork throughout the facility has been installed and the interior/exterior doors and hardware are in the process of going in. The rubber sports flooring is completely installed on the second floor (Fitness Room). Lighting in the main pool area are installed and the acoustic baffles are in the process of being installed. The exterior of the building is 97% complete with some cap flashing yet to be installed. The lap pool is under static testing which see the pool filled with water to increase load on the concrete. The hot tub tile work is complete and cedar finishing in the sauna is nearly complete. In the mechanical room boiler heat for the building has been established and air handlers are scheduled to be fired up in the new year. Mechanical and electrical work continues for the operation of the water structures in the facility.
November 2018
Ceramic tile continues in the change rooms, main floor corridor and second floor reception area. Rough grading complete to the west side and between the building and sidewalks. Pool area concrete is complete and trench installations are in progress. Patching of the leisure pool walls is nearing completion. Mechanical duct work is starting in the pool area. Epoxy painting is approximately 70% complete in the pool area. Kalwal glazed panels are complete, spandrel panel work is almost completed, window capping is ongoing. Wood ceiling application is completed to the second floor exercise area. Lockers are being installed in the change rooms. 
October 2018
Site concrete including concrete sidewalk pouring is nearing completion. Change room wall tile is completed including grout installation. Kalwal translucent panels are 50% complete. Main electrical feeders are pulled to the new panels. Exterior retaining walls are being installed. Second floor t-bar grid is starting installations. Mechanical work continues both in the new mechanical room and the basement filter room. Site work is attempting to finish but the weather has slowed this area down for now. Shoring is being placed in the lap pool to allow ceiling work in the pool areas. Concrete for the whirlpool is poured and forming of the seats is taking place. A temporary floor is being constructed over the main pool to hold lifts and workers to finish the ceiling and overhead work. 
September 2018
South and west facing exterior translucent panels in the pool main hall are 40% complete. Air handlers have been installed on the roof. Site work is underway including retaining wall forming and base preparation for the concrete pavement. Drywall taping almost completed on the second floor , painting is underway. Ceramic tile to the lap pool is complete and awaiting epoxy grout application. Ceramic tiling to the main floor change rooms nearing completion. Forming to the leisure pool areas nearing completion with the final floor slab pour scheduled
August 2018
Finishing work continues on the lap pool with the waterproofing complete and the tiling started. Base preparation for the leisure and whirlpools has begun with the concrete pour planned for August 26. The block walls to the change rooms have been completed and tile work has started in the men’s shower area. Filters have been installed in the pool’s mechanical room in the basement and piping is well underway. The school entrance area walls have been completed and are now closed-in. Interior drywall partitions are nearing completion and the exterior finish of the building continues.
July 2018
With warmer weather and much of the groundwork complete, progress has been steady over the last two months. The lap pool concrete has been poured and a waterproof coating being applied to it. A partial pool deck slab pour is underway and underground lines to the leisure pool and lazy river is nearing completion. On the exterior of the building the installation of metal siding and brick veneer is nearing completion. A static test is scheduled for the lap pool in August. Interior block work for the main floor change rooms, and second floor ventilation and fireproofing are both nearing completion.
May 2018
Crews continued work to prepare for pouring of concrete that will make the base of the lap pool. It involved finalizing the proper slope of the pool and the installation of reebar and insulation. The pouring of concrete was initiated and the shape of the pool became more evident. Concrete for the filtration room also took place in May. Plumbing and ventilation through the ceiling of the pool, change room and fitness room areas were completed. The application of steel base sheeting to the roof was nearly complete and interior wall framing continues to the second floor (fitness room). 
April 2018
Progress continues on the new Athabasca Pool and Fitness Centre with the building seeing sheeting being added to the roof, the metal structure of the facility reaching completion and concrete floors poured on the second floor of the building (the area for the new fitness centre). The north wall of the building is concrete block and masonry workers have nearly completed this big task. Work has also begun on the east side of the building to install exterior grade sheathing on a steel stud wall over which a vapor barrier and metal sheeting will be placed. Other items that might not be seen by the public when the facility is finished were also completed such as stairs and ladder to the roof, drains and inlets for the pool itself. With temperatures warming up and the frost leaving the ground, work will soon begin to install underground services to the facility such as the main water line and the equipment and piping to the filtration room which lies deep under the facility. Roofers will also be seen on the roof of the facility very soon as well. 
February 2018
Construction of the Athabasca Regional Pool & Fitness Centre continues. Structural steel started to arrive on site and go up during the week of February 20, 2018 as per the schedule.
The focus of work over the last month has been completing work inside the filtration room of the pool. This work took place out of view and within an enclosed and heated work area. A structural slab support system was installed and is now completing its curing process. On February 20th structural steel arrived on site and was soon being installed with a crane. The viewing deck of the Multiplex has been closed while this work takes place to ensure the safety of the public.
The trusses, which are first assembled on the ground, are being lifted into place with a 200 ton crane over the mechanical loading area for the pool and the main pool deck area. The installation of metal decking is the next step and is anticipated to be installed mid-March.
A new gas service is scheduled to be installed during the week of February 25th. While this work (anticipated to take 6-8 hours) the rest of the worksite will be shut down to ensure the safety of workers. It is anticipated that the steel frame of the building will begin going up in February.
January 2018
Workers put in place the forms and steel reebar for the filtration room, which could be considered the heart of the pool because it will host all the pumps and mechanicals needed for the facility.
There have been three areas of focus for the sub-grade work in the construction of the Regional Pool & Fitness Centre:
- the outer foundation or grade beam for the pool building itself;
- excavation of the lap pool; and,
- pouring of concrete for the filtration room that will hold all of the mechanicals for the two pools, waterslide, hot tub, and other features.
The pouring of the outer grade beam is nearly complete. The portions already poured have a waterproof membrane added to them to protect the integrity of the facility for many years. Excavation of the pool area is nearing completion and hoarding (an insulated heat enclosure) is being added by workers over the filtration room to enable the pool contractor to start installing mechanicals for the pool.
Water and sanitary lines for the facility have been roughed into the filtration room. They will be tied into the Town’s system at a later date.
Soon, a natural gas line to serve both the work site and the finished facility later will be installed. It will help provide temporary heat for workers and will serivce the finished building. It is being connected to the Multiplex gas supply which is located on the roof.
Next month weeping tile will be installed, and work will continue on pool mechanical systems, foundation walls, and the design details of the interior.
October 2017
The concrete grade beam for the outer walls of the facility were a key part of the initial construction.
Contractors continue working together to plan all aspects of the project and are currently reviewing drawings that will represent 90% completion. When construction started in August drawings were at 60% completion. The final 10 % will detail the fininishing elements of the project including millwork, hand dryers, etc. The construction site has been stripped, pilings installed, foundation excavation has taken place and grade beam forms constructed. Concrete will soon be poured and follows an inspection of the rebar that took place this week. Ground work usually takes a good amount of time to complete when large facilities are constructed. In a facility this size, and this one containing a pool, there is a lot of extra planning and sub-surface work that needs to take place to properly service the building. A hole has been excavated for the pool’s filtration room. Soon workers will be installing driven pilings that will support the walls of the excavation while forms are built. Temporary power will soon be connected that will service the construction site. The design-build team continues to review the drawings and is consulting with the Project Manager who is actively engaging users of the pool to refine specifics of the design to suit their needs. Weather has been a major factor in the progress of the project. Continued rain and the most recent snow storm slowed work briefly when the site was covered in snow.
