The only public pool in Thompson, Man., has been ordered closed immediately and permanently over critical safety issues with the facility’s infrastructure.

The decision to close the Norplex Pool was made by city council on the advice of administration Wednesday night after an engineering review revealed imminent risks to employees and the public.

In their report, the City of Thompson’s engineering team pointed out a number of urgent infrastructure issues including serious structural problems with changing room ceilings and the water slide support beams, electrical vulnerabilities in change rooms and other parts of the facility, and urgent ventilation issues.

Heartbreaking news

For Thompson resident, Alicia Bedford, the news is “heartbreaking.”

Her daughters Brittany, 15, and Blake, 10, are both competitive swimmers with the Thompson Northern Torpedoes (TNT) Swim Club. They practiced at the pool three days a week.

“They both started swimming since they were six months old. The pool has been part of their life since they were babies,” Bedford said.

Bedford saw the news of the pool closure on Facebook Thursday morning.

“When I saw the post today, my heart sank. It sank for my kids and for the 40 other kids that are involved in Thompson Northern Torpedo Swim Club, for the kids taking swim lessons,” she said.

Bedford said her eldest daughter called home in tears when she heard the news. She doesn’t know how to break the news to her youngest.

“I’m at a loss for words. I guess they’re going to have to find a new sport to love,” she said.

Luke Deibert, the head coach of the TNT Swim Club said he's still reeling from the news.

"Truthfully it makes me sick. I feel like I’ve lost a child. You put so much effort, heart and soul into something for a significant amount of time and to see that it’s potentially lost -- a little piece of you dies," he said.

Deibert said he heard from a number of swimmers he coaches who are all feeling a sense of loss.

"For many it feels like a loss of belonging or identity. It's how they defined themselves," he said.

Plan B 

Deibert said he hopes they can find a solution.

"Where there's a will, there's a way," he said, though he knows it will be difficult.

The closest pool is a four-hour drive away in The Pas.

He thinks it will be nearly impossible to have a swim club for less experienced swimmers because they're still learning the technique, but it might be possible for the higher level swimmers to forge on.

"When you get to the higher levels, there's lots of tweaking that goes on, but you tend to focus more on physical fitness. For that, we can continue without a pool. Occasionally we might drive out to The Pas for a technical training session and go to swim meets," he said.

"At least it's a possibility to keep the more experienced swimmers going."

Norplex Pool requires significant, expensive repairs, so development of a new pool facility is officially underway.

According to a release from the City of Thompson, all pool staff will be offered new jobs.

Pool users who bought monthly passes or swimming lessons will get refunds within 30 days.