Prince George residents wanting to try Canada’s first NinjaCross obstacle course will have to wait a month longer than expected.
Construction of the Canfor Leisure Pool is a month behind schedule and is not expected to be complete until October, city director of recreation and events Andy Beesley wrote in a report going to city council on Monday. City staff are expected to be able to take possession of the pool later in October.
“The project is in the final stage of construction at 96 (per cent) complete with $33.4 million spent. The remaining works for completion include pool tank fills, finishes, HVAC and fire system commissioning, systems corrections and run tests, NinjaCross finalization, operator training, landscaping, and staff move in,” Beesley wrote. “The delay is largely attributed to unanticipated trade defaults and labour shortages which are outside of the project controls. The project is anticipated to remain within this completion schedule provided there are no extenuating circumstances such as system deficiencies identified through the commissioning process or supply chain delays.”
Exterior work and landscaping for the pool is scheduled to be complete in early fall, with the work being coordinated with projects approved in 2021 and 2022 for streetscape improvements to Seventh Avenue and a planned traffic signal at the intersection of Seventh Avenue and Dominion Street, Beesley wrote.
The project is expected to stay within the $39.126 million budget city council approved on May 9, 2022, Beesley wrote. The original budget for the pool was $35.75 million, plus $500,000 for the addition of the NinjaCross course, which council approved on Feb. 22, 2021.
Of the $2.876 million cost overrun, $1.7 million was attributed to deficient primer which was on the structural steel beams when they were deliver, Beesley wrote. The city is “actively seeking compensation” for the costs linked to the deficient primer, he added.
“Much of the project’s construction has taken place during the pandemic with impacts to the project budget and schedule from market conditions and other factors,” Beesley wrote. “However, the project remains in scope and will feature the first NinjaCross obstacle course in Canada.”
Installation of a new, bronze Terry Fox statute outside the pool is expected to be complete before the 2022 Terry Fox Run.
