Photo courtesy Wilfrid Laurier University

After five months and a $4.2-million renovation, the newly revamped pool at Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU) is open for business.

After a $4.2-million renovation, Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU) has re-opened its 50-m (164-ft) pool in Waterloo, Ont.

Elected representatives, community users and representatives of donor groups will join the public for an official opening ceremony at the facility on Friday, Nov. 20. The first recreational lane swim in the revamped pool was scheduled for Monday morning.

The only competitive facility of its size in the Waterloo area, the 35-year-old pool underwent five months of renovations in 2009. The curtain wall, air-handling and dehumidification systems were replaced, pressure-relief valves in the pool were repaired and mechanical spaces and interior finishes (e.g. pool deck, walls, lighting, drains and equipment) were improved.

WLU, its students, community aquatic groups, individual donors and the cities of Waterloo and Kitchener raised more than half of the funds used to complete the project. This summer, $2 million was pledged by federal and provincial governments to replace the pool’s filtration and chlorination systems, as well as structural repairs and roofing renovations.

The new facility will be used not only by the university and its students, but also several local groups, including high schools, synchronized swim groups and recreational swimmers.