EDLC Hot Tub Update

The hot tub at the Edson and District Leisure Centre remains out of service.

In an update to Council last night, Administration provided some information on the situation that has kept the hot tub out of operation in recent months.

During the assessment of the facility in the fall of 2022, leakage from the existing hot tub was confirmed on the exterior and basement of the building. This is a longstanding issue and has been worked on multiple times with no resolution. The architectural and engineering team working on the YCE Multiplex project have recommended against reopening the hot tub until the cause is determined and subsurface conditions are confirmed to pose no danger. In particular, voids in the ground from long-term leakage could cause structural concerns.

Given the Town and Yellowhead County are actively pursuing redevelopment of the Leisure Centre site, including the construction of a new aquatics centre, Administration has been reluctant to expend a large amount of money on engineering solutions for the hot tub. Initial estimates were approximately $50,000 for engineering alone, with no guarantee of a solution. The costs of actual repair or temporary solutions are hard to predict without the engineering study, however, one community in Alberta is currently planning to replace their hot tub at a cost of approximately $450,000.

Following the report, Council voted against the motion to proceed with additional investigation into the hot tub issues. Resources will instead be focused on the development of the new facility.

“We understand that the hot tub is a popular feature for facility users, but, considering all of the information, Council felt it wouldn’t be fiscally prudent to move forward with putting any more resources towards this issue. I know this isn’t the news anyone wants to hear, but our focus needs to be on the new facility which will hopefully break ground later this year.”

-Edson Mayor Kevin Zahara

Administration will continue to review programming to ensure quality and value for patrons of the facility until the new multi-plex is constructed.