Cambridge Bay residents won't be swimming at the community pool this summer, as structural deficiencies at the base of the pool have led the hamlet to close the facility for safety reasons.
The decision was made July 29 when it was detected that corrosion from chlorine had rotted away the structure at the bottom of the pool, said Marla Limousin, the community's senior administrative officer.
"We probably need to get a new pool," Limousin stated.
The swimming pool had opened for the season on July 1. It was scheduled to remain in use for the first three weeks of August.
There's no option to convert to a waterfront program because lifeguards require specific training for outdoor supervision on the coastline, Limousin noted.
"Also the weather here has been cool and rainy, so it's not a great option at the moment," she said.
The pool staff consisted of three lifeguards brought up from the south and one local resident. As of earlier this week, the hamlet was still deciding how to deal with compensation for the lifeguards in light of the pool season concluding earlier than planned.
Cambridge Bay also endured the closure of its arena for a year-and-a-half due to mould issues. That facility only reopened in March after remediation.
The community has been lobbying and fundraising for a new recreation complex.