CRESTON & DISTRICT COMMUNITY COMPLEX

FACILITY ENHANCEMENT PROJECT

DECEMBER 24, 2009

A Project Poem

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the site,

The Tradesmen had gone, off into the night.

The project lay silent, an audible clearness

Except for the hum of the construction furnace.

The steel stands strong, supporting the roof

Huge wooden beams, the Design Team didn’t goof.

The wall panels hang silent, steadfast and true,

Insulated to a value of R32.

The main entrance sits quiet, doorways tarped over

From a distance it looks like the White Cliffs of Dover.

Walls have been added and some removal

Nothing however, without Engineers Approval.

Pipes and ducts hang from the ceiling with care

Copper and steel and galvanized ware

The painter has started spraying epoxy

This piece of work can’t be by proxy.

The tiles were laid in the lap pool with care,

White, blue and red; every one of them square.

From shallow to deep, quietly awaiting water,

It doesn’t leak, just like it oughter.

Beside the large windows sits a twenty man hot tub

Everyone’s welcome (provided they first scrub)

The Leisure Pool will have a river Lazy,

Bubble pit, teacup, it’s flippin’ crazy!

The fitness track room brings quite a smile

Twenty times round gives you a mile.

The area will be laid with resilient flooring,

Providing a space that is anything but boring.

After the New Year, the trades will return

Some happy, some grumpy but the project they yearn.

Building and pouring elaborate concretion

Striving to meet Substantial Completion.

But for now it is silent, the jobsite is hushed

The quality to date has been good but not rushed.

The public is happy, they all think it’s cool,

In just a few months we’ll all be in the pool!

- Neil Ostafichuk

The smell of paint fills the air as the painting contractor begins in the lower and upper mechanical rooms. The upper room is all tarped and sealed with anything that shouldn’t get painted masked and covered. Painting is usually done when many of the other trades are not around because of odour.

Close up view of the skimmers in the Leisure pool prior to pouring concrete. The deck surface will be just above top of skimmer.

The long blue strip is the swimmers ledge which is an indent for feet while you hang on for dear life in the deep end. Swim competitions use the feature a lot.

Tuesday saw the pouring of the majority of the Leisure Pool walls as Craig Redi-Mix delivered the goods so the Razor Concrete boys could place in good stead. There is just a short section of wall next to the lazy river that needs to be completed when the Acapulco crew returns in January.

The hot tub gets more and more inviting as the wall tile goes on with accent stripes at the top.

The front entrance continues to take shape as the wall board goes on as the foundation for the stucco coat. City Glass from Cranbrook is installing the window frames with glass to follow in the New Year. Currently, the front is tarped up over the holiday season to keep things warm and dry.

The first set of main lobby lights goes and is bagged over to keep dust off while steel studs are cut to frame in front entrance for the wallboard and stucco. The front lobby will be quite open and inviting with lots of glazing.

The while most of the square ducting is put together onsite and installed, the round ducting is shipped in and stock piled - there is some serious sized pipe going up!

What is known as the chemical room takes shape as containment areas and housekeeping pads are formed and poured. Sounding more serious than it is, the form of disinfection we will have (calcium hypocloride and ultraviolet) is some of the safest to use.

Like The Cask of Amontillado, more spaces are blocked up by the Casemore Crew in the name of progress. These windows which looked into the main lobby currently serve the Recreation and Aquatic Programmers. Prior to that, the office held the RDCK Building inspection staff and prior to that was the concession (thus the windows onto the lobby and curling area). Prior to that was before my time….

Press Release

Regional District of Central Kootenay

Creston and District Community Complex

Date: December 18, 2009

The excitement in the community is building as construction continues on the Creston and District Community Complex. The progress on the aquatic centre part of the construction is proceeding very well. There are several exciting features at the pool that will make it quite a special place whether it is for training, rehab, competition, or just plain fun. Features such as the large hot tub, steam room , competition length pool, 1M diving board, lazy river , vortex conversation pit, a warm water leisure pool with a tea cup, bubble pit, and large water play area are just a few of the many features everyone will enjoy when the facility opens. The Design Team for the facility has worked hard to ensure that there is something for everyone to enjoy at the pool regardless of age or ability.

The RDCK is in discussions with the Creston Valley Aquatic Society to move ahead with funding proposals for the waterslide feature. This element of the Aquatic Centre was identified by the Design Team at the beginning of the design process in 2007 as one of a few key features of the Enhancement Project which would be developed and fundraised for as a community effort. For the interim, the RDCK will be installing in the current construction program some of the infrastructure such as, piping, floor space and mechanical equipment for the waterslide. This removes the need to damage or remove previously constructed spaces. Although the waterslide is not in the original build and will not be there when the facility opens, it is hoped that this feature will come to fruition through fundraising efforts and future community support. When the Aquatic Centre opens in the spring, it will be the premiere facility in the region packed with water features and amenities. Everyone involved in the project is committed to seeing the waterslide happen and make this great facility even better.

There has been other parts of the enhancement project that are now completed and are being enjoyed by the community. The new change rooms in the arena are receiving rave reviews by all ages and user groups and the Curling Club is back in full swing this fall and curlers are very pleased with the new floor and ice surface.

The response from the public has been very positive and people are genuinely excited in anticipation for what the community will have at the Complex. This energy and enthusiasm will take us into the New Year and will make 2010 a year to remember as the project moves from dream to reality.

Season Greetings to you and your families from the Staff at the Creston & District Community Complex.