About 200 people, both children and adults, learned to swim at the Kamsack Swimming Pool this summer, according to information compiled by the Kamsack recreation department.
A total of 99 persons participated in one of four one-week sessions, while 88 registered for one or more of the two-week lessons, and 16 children learned to swim at private lessons.
Last year fewer than 100 persons had taken swimming lessons at the pool.
As town council had requested, the pool was open a week earlier than normal and closed a week later, said Kev Sumner, Kamsack recreation director. It was open for a total of 644 hours over the 76 days from June 20 to September 3.
The 16 members of the staff of the pool together have 38 seasons of experience working at the pool. Employed were a total of 17 persons as lifeguards, including two managers (Jacqui Villeneuve and Sheri Nikiforoff).
During the season a total of 173 students of the Kamsack Comprehensive Institute and 15 teachers made use of the pool.
Lifeguards who marked their fourth year at the facility included Cassidy Irvine (who resigned in July), Kiera Nikiforoff, Allison Thomsen and Colin Tulloch (resigned in July).
Sheri Nikiforoff, the manager, has three years working experience at the pool.
Celebrating two years working at the pool were: Alex Cottenie, Mia Cottenie, Elizabeth Hilderman, Tyrone Hofseth, Chloe Irvine, Meghan McNiel, James-Ross Tourangeau and Jacqui Villeneuve, while marking their first summer at the pool were Kira Kitsch and Devin Klapatiuk (junior guards) and Lauren McNiel.
The facility was rented out on one occasion during the summer and five persons participated in aqua-size classes offered through the Family Resource Centre. During the season, the pool was the scene of water polo, canoe and kayak courses and a SCUBA (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus) snorkel clinic.
During the summer new security cameras were installed and the beginning of a new “spray pad” committee was formed.
Agreeing to help form the committee, which will be tasked with looking into what enhancements might be pursued, are Andrea Verigin, Megan Peters, Chantel Kitchen, Hillary Walter, Michelle Irvine, Darren Kitsch, Shelley Filipchuk and Kev Sumner.
The committee was formed after town council had asked the recreation department to investigate ideas as to what enhancements residents wanted, Sumner said, adding that the Saskatchewan in Motion program has agreed to conduct an active community profile which might provide information.
“We’re calling the group Kamsack in Motion,” Sumner said. Members of the group will be meeting with the Saskatchewan in Motion representatives and with representatives of Parkland Valley Sport Culture and Recreation in October. The plan is to have a recommendation to council next year.
Sumner estimated that in total the pool consumed a half million litres of water during the season. Of that amount, about 470,000 litres were in the pool, while the rest was used for such things as washrooms and watering the lawn.
The pool used 1,150 litres of chlorine, 300 litres of hydrochloric acid; 120 air fresheners, 150 kilograms of sodium bicarbonate, 100 kg of calcium chloride and 100 kg of cyanuric acid to stabilize the chemicals.
Overall it was a very positive year, Sumner said, crediting staff of the water treatment plant and public works for helping to maintain the facility.
