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The Midale Swimming Pool has received a $50,000 donation from Kingston Midstream as it looks to undergo a major overhaul.
Midale Mayor Al Haglum said the project will be a valuable addition to the community. "A swimming pool, your rinks, your schools—everything that you can keep in your community is an asset to have,” he said.
He added that maintaining local infrastructure and amenities is key to keeping residents happy.
“You start losing those essential infrastructure pieces, and your town dies, basically. It’s very important.”
The pool currently offers swimming lessons, public swimming, physical education classes with the school, aqua fitness, fun swimming events and family fun days. It also provides employment opportunities for local youth.
With the current pool's life expectancy ending, Haglum said the committee felt this was an important project to support.
The planned upgrades include several new features, such as a double water slide, a lazy river and multiple spray features. Some original components, like the change room or boiler, may remain.
“I just hope that it’s amazing and draws people from all over—Estevan, Weyburn, whatever. We just hope it’s a beautiful facility that people will love to come and use,” Haglum said.
The project is expected to cost $2 million.“We’re going to try and fundraise it all, hopefully with the help of grants from our federal and provincial governments,” he said.
The Midale Swimming Pool committee is aiming to raise a significant amount of funds this year in hopes of breaking ground within two years. The project is not just a Midale initiative, as Macoun, Halbrite and the RM of Cymri each have a representative on the committee making the project important to the surrounding communities as well.
While no specific fundraiser is currently planned, fundraising efforts will continue throughout the year, and Haglum is encouraging support for the initiative.