TOWN GETS $394,000 GRANT FOR POOL RENOVATIONS

The Centennial Aquatic Centre is getting some upgrades.

The Town of Collingwood announced June 20 the pool at the facility, located at the corner of Spruce and Third streets, will be getting a new tile floor.

"Thanks to $394,000 from the Government of Ontario and Ontario Trillium Foundation to tile the pool, we will be able to keep our pool cleaner and usable all year long, as tiling the pool will eliminate the need to close annually for cleaning or painting," said Mel Milanovic, manager of recreation facilities.

In 2013, the town covered the 54-year-old outdoor pool in an effort to provide the community with an indoor pool.

The pool underwent some modifications at that time, but was left as a concrete tank. Since then, the concrete tank has been painted several times, but this caused problems as the paint flakes over time and creates visibility issues for lifeguards.

The Collingwood Clippers Swim Club is slated to hold its annual swim meet on June 25 and 26. After this event, the pool will officially close on June 27 for the summer while the tiling is completed.

It's expected the work will be completed this fall and the town will host a ribbon-cutting celebration.

The centre was part of a nearly $13-million project that saw the construction of the Central Park Arena and the covering of the pool. The purchase of these two buildings, as well as the sale of the former utility company, was subject to the Collingwood judicial inquiry, which cost about $8 million.

Since its opening, there have been more than $400,000 in unplanned renovations on the facility.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada's leading granting foundations. Last year, nearly $112 million was invested into 1,384 community projects and partnerships to build healthy and vibrant communities and strengthen the impact of Ontario's non-profit sector.