A Prince George landmark will soon be no more as demolition of the Prince George Four Seasons Leisure Pool will begin on Tuesday.
The pool first opened in 1970 and was the location where many people who grew up in the city first learned to swim.
However, the building will now be demolished as its replacement, the Canfor Leisure Pool, is nearing completion.
The city announced that crews will work on demolishing the structure from 7 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. on weekdays, and from 9 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays.
Work is expected to continue into mid-October and downtown businesses and residents can expect disruptions during these hours.
The city said it will work to minimize disruption by using water to minimize dust in the area, routing dump trucks through Canada Games Way and Seventh Avenue to access the site while keeping Dominion Street transit open. The city will also post detour routes on sidewalks if closures are needed.
The Four Seasons parking lot will also be closed during the demolition.
City council voted to demolish the building in February 2021 but the pool has been closed since March 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the opening of the new Canfor Leisure Pool has also been slightly delayed as construction is behind schedule.
City staff are expected to be able to take possession of the pool later in October.
The remaining works for completion include pool tank fills, finishes, HVAC and fire system commissioning, systems corrections and run tests, operator training, landscaping, and for the staff to move in.
Staff will also have to make finalizations for the NinjaCross system which is an on-demand-obstacle course and the first of-its-kind to operate in Canada.
Installation of a new, bronze Terry Fox statue outside the pool is also expected to be complete before the 2022 Terry Fox Run.
- with files from Arthur Williams
