Project Update
At the March 6 Committee of the Whole meeting, staff provided an update on the project. The staff report included a summary of feedback provided during recent public consultations, an update of the Integrated Procurement Process and a revised conceptual design with a proposed change to the design of the aquatic changerooms.
The staff recommendation was adopted by the Committee of the Whole who chose to incorporate the revised aquatic design for the change rooms into the conceptual design of the project.
Funding Announcement – GICB Canada
Today, December 8, 2022, Mark Gerretsen, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands and His Worship Jim Hegadorn, Mayor of Loyalist Township, announced more than $16.5 million in funding to retrofit the W.J. Henderson Recreation Centre in Loyalist Township.
"Quality community and recreational infrastructure is vital to community well-being and development. Today's important announcement will provide residents in Loyalist with an accessible, modern and green facility they can enjoy for years to com." - Mark Gerretson, MP for Kingston and the Islands
The Government of Canada is investing over $16.5 million in this project through Infrastructure Canada’s Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program (GICB).
Funding will support upgrades to the W.J. Henderson Recreation Centre to improve the safety, accessibility, and environmental performance of the facility. Work will include replacing the aquatics facility, improving accessibility and mechanical systems, renovating the arena and library, and installing energy-saving components. These improvements are expected to reduce the facility's energy consumption by an estimated 38.6% and greenhouse gas emissions by 207 tonnes annually. An additional significant aspect of this retrofit is to create a Legacy space to deliver education, and spread awareness about Indigenous history and the path towards reconciliation.
Once complete, this community hub will provide residents with a state-of-the-art facility and recreation programs and services that encourage inclusivity, fun, health and well-being, and accessibility for all ages and abilities.
W.J. Henderson Recreation Centre Pool Closure
On April 19, 2022, based on a structural engineering assessment, Council directed staff to close the pool until further notice. Staff were directed to work with regional partners to source interim aquatic options for Township residents and report back to Council with updated capital costs and financial options for Council consideration.
Over the past several years, the pool at the W.J Henderson Recreation Centre has experienced many infrastructure failures as it continues to operate beyond its lifecycle. Early in 2022, significant cracks in the pool revealed an underlying structural problem with the pool basin. The pool had initially closed with issues related to water chemistry.
A structural engineering assessment of the pool basin concluded that the pool basin and slab had lost uniform load distribution. Serious water leakage at the top of the pool walls was ultimately causing the cracking with water penetration causing erosion of the sand under the slab. This erosion caused channels to form under the building that followed the contours of the underlying bedrock. The concrete does have some strength but has reached a tipping point of stress resulting in load redistribution which, in turn, caused the cracking to spread. The basin slab is not uniformly supported and without that, serious cracking had occurred and would continue to occur. The pool is no longer operational. You can find further information in the Report to Council on April 19, 2022.
Interim aquatic programs are available through partnerships with BGC South East and the YMCA of Eastern Ontario with the focus for summer 2022 being children’s and adult’s swimming lessons.
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