Fuchsia Dragon | [email protected]
The slide replacement project is finally off the starting blocks.
Jasper Aquatic Centre closed Monday and will remain so for the next three months to allow for the massive operation.
The crumbling old slide and its stairs will be ripped out and replaced, the slide鈥檚 landing pool will be deepened, and there will be other general repairs.
The current slide was built in 1988 from yew wood encased in fiberglass, and over time water has leaked into the casing.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not yew board any more, it鈥檚 yew sludge,鈥� said Jeremy Todgham, manager of the Fitness and Aquatic Centre.
鈥淚t causes pressure and cracks in the fiberglass.鈥�
He said the last time the slide was inspected in spring 2018, there were 鈥渃ountless鈥� cracks and 74 more were patched. When the repairs only lasted a few months, the slide was shut down for good.
The new slide will be safe, long lasting and higher quality.
It will be the same shape as the current one, but with no tunnel roof, and made from smaller sections that could be more easily replaced.
And it鈥檚 not just the slide that鈥檚 falling apart.
The slide鈥檚 stairs and the metal connections that keep them there are also badly corroded.
Patches of rust are peeling from the structures and everything is being replaced.
Togham said the new slide stairs will be made from fibergrate, which will not corrode.
鈥淚t鈥檚 designed to keep the water out,鈥� he said.
鈥淭he new stairs will collect water and there will be a drain. Instead of walking on the stairs and getting a shower, it will be disposed of.鈥�
And at the other end of the slide, you will get a safer splash when you hit the water.
The landing pool鈥檚 sloped floor will be jackhammered and reshaped to level it and meet current regulations.
Around the pool, the deck will be waterproofed and refinished, and raised tiles will be fixed.
And like during the pool鈥檚 regular shutdown, everything is getting a good autumn clean.
Jasper Aquatic Centre is scheduled to reopen on December 18.
During the shutdown, the Fitness Centre and bouldering wall will still be open.
Construction cost breakdown:
Demolition - $160,092
Steel structure - $79,352
Waterslide and stairs replacement - $330,938
Landing pool modifications - $38,240
Refinishing deck and landing pool - $14,641
Construction expenses - $53,050
Consultant costs - $73,256
Contingency - $33,816
