While many residents are making use of the facilities at təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre, some tweaks are still being made to the newly opened $114.6-million facility.
Corrinne Garrett, senior manager, recreation services and facilities, said staff in multiple departments at city hall are working to address a variety of deficiencies at təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre. She said all deficiencies and warranty items are covered at the contractor’s expense.
Some community members have posted comments on social media regarding “out of order” signs at the facility, which held its grand opening on June 1.
“As with any new build, different pieces of hardware fail because of usage patterns/installation/quality of product, and staff work continuously with the sub-contractors to identify root cause and whether or not to replace the hardware with like for like or to replace with different/more suited for use,” Garrett said. “In some instances, procuring new/different product creates a supply chain delay and staff are required to notify facility users the infrastructure is temporarily out of order. All of these replacement products are covered by warranty.”
After discovering some issues with the showers in the aquatic centre, the city worked with contractors to resolve the shower problem.
“There was sediment in five storage tanks left over from construction and site works that was taking place at the time. This sediment was getting into the shower nozzles and clogging them,” Garrett explained. “Five storage tanks were identified and flushed out. A filter screen has been added to the supply water entrance point to filter out any additional sediment. This problem should be resolved.”
After təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre opened to the public in the spring, some signage in the change rooms was deemed not to be up to par.
“The initial product installed by the contractor was not suitable for the change room environment and many change room signs de-laminated and/or faded,” Garrett said. “The contractor is replacing all signs with appropriate materials on warranty.”
According to Garrett, custom-made accessible ladders are also in the works for the deep portion of the 50-metre tank.
“We are working with suppliers to create custom removable stairs to allow for access to the deeper portions of the 50- metre tank for those patrons with accessibility needs and who choose not to use one of the portable lifts,” she said.
Garrett said the facility was recently certified by the Rick Hansen Foundation as Gold, with an 87 per cent rating.
In recent weeks, visitors may have noticed a food truck outside the community and aquatic facility. It’s a temporary measure until the city is able to provide food services in a café space inside təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre.
“We will be working on the planning for this late fall with implementation late spring/summer of 2025,” Garrett said. “We need to work through our warranty work before we can dedicate resources to this project.”
The City of New Westminster recently learned that təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre has been recognized by the Prix Versailles selection committee as one of the World's Most Beautiful Sports Venues for 2024. In addition, təməsew̓txʷ is eligible to compete for one of the three 2024 World Titles – Prix Versailles, Interior and Exterior – with those awards being determined by the world judges panel and the winners being announced on Dec. 2 at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France.
“It is pretty awesome about the Prix Versailles. What is even more awesome is we did not even nominate ourselves,” Garrett said. “This international competition panel reviews architectural digest magazines and creates its own shortlist independently.”
Outdoor work
At a recent council meeting, Mayor Patrick Johnstone noted that a staff report indicated there is still some work to do as part of the final phase of the təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre, including work some “landscaping challenges” that the city is dealing with through warranty and some sidewalk connections to the site.
Lisa Leblanc, the city’s director of engineering, said there was a bit of an expanded scope that includes the off site works that are part of the təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre project.
“We treated it similar to a development project in that the adjacent edges of the site will be delivered as part of the project, and then we added some additional scope to better connect the area through into other elements of the greenway network,” she told council. “So, the scope includes improved bike lanes, sidewalks with separation from vehicle traffic, improved signalization, a new signal at Cumberland and Sixth, and improved markings across intersections for all modes of travel.”
Leblanc said staff had received the full design package from the consultant in recent weeks.
“It’s our intention to tender the works as soon as possible,” she said. “However, given where we're at in in the season, we don't anticipate construction to actually be complete until the spring, just because we're entering into more of a rainy season. However, the intention is to tender and leave it to the successful proponent to let us know what they can deliver on.”
Leblanc said a bike shelter is also part of the overall scope for the project, and the project team is continuing to work on that design and is looking to procure a unit in the coming weeks.
Garrett later told the Record the design and construction of a secure bike enclosure is expected to be completed sometime in 2025.
In an Oct. 4 email to the Record, Garrett outlined some of the work that’s being addressed. That includes landscaping deficiencies and warranty work.
“The landscape deficiencies at the təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre have been identified and will be addressed by the contractor,” she said. “The contractor held off on replanting in the hot, dry summer months as the conditions are not ideal for root establishment. Now that we are into wet, cool fall weather conditions the plants and trees that did not survive will be replaced.”
In regard to walkways at the site, Garrett said the city prioritized the completion of the path that provides the closest connection to the bus stop.
Garrett said an old right-of-way between the Justice Institute of BC and the old Canada Games Pool parking lot, a path that used to connect the JIBC and CGP parking lots, is located on JIBC land. She said JIBC coordinates work on its property, and its future plans are unknown at this time.
Garrett said the city is doing its best to provide regular TACC updates online.
“It is amazing how much work is being done in the background that the public are not aware of,” she said.
