Wascana Pool partially re-opens but lane pool still down

There is a little good news for those waiting for Regina’s Wascana Pool to reopen.

The City of Regina is reporting that the waterslide and the leisure pool are now operational after a series of closures at the facility since last week.

The lane pool is still closed, however, due to “unforeseen mechanical issues.” As well, a sign outside the pool entrance said there was no hot tub, and no spray or water features at the leisure pool on Monday.

A sign posted outside Wascana Pool indicates a number of features at the pool are still closed due to mechanical issues. ( John Cairns/980 CJME )

It is not clear what has caused the mechanical issues, and it is not known when the issues will be resolved.

According to the schedule posted on the city website, lane swims have been cancelled through Tuesday morning. No cancellations were posted for July 31 on Monday afternoon.

“The leisure pool and waterslides at Wascana Pool have been fully open since Sunday afternoon. We are working hard to get the hot tub and lane pool operational and will notify residents when these are up and running. We want to thank Regina residents for their ongoing patience as we work to resolve these issues,” the city said in a statement.

The pool has seen a host of closures and disruptions since the middle of last week. Both the leisure pool and waterslides were down July 23, according to a post on social media, but reopened on July 24. Then, on July 25, the city reported the outdoor pool was down.

The city also reported on social media that the outdoor pool was closed briefly due to mechanical issues on July 14, reopening July 15.

The renovated Wascana Pool was opened in 2023 but its first summer season saw some issues, including a bear-spray incident on opening day.

The city also had to call on the public to quit pushing the emergency stop button for the waterslides, because it was causing it to reset over and over again.

The latest issues at the pool have seen disappointed reactions on social media, with frustrated users pointing to the large number of pool closures.

“Ridiculous! You guys have 10 months to plan for two months of the year that it’s open!” was one response on Facebook.

Another commenter asked: “How is it that a one-year-old facility is breaking down on a near daily basis?”

Despite the disruption, most events on the pool schedule Monday were either still on or relocated.

The lane swim scheduled for 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. was cancelled on Monday and Tuesday, but Regent Pool was available both days.

The leisure swim from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., and the Toonie teen swim from 6 p.m. to 7:50 p.m were both still on the schedule.

Wascana is not the only city pool that has been out of action lately: the Sandra Schmirler Leisure Centre is currently closed for annual maintenance until Aug. 5.

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