Athabasca County wants a new swimming pool and library built at the Athabasca Regional Multiplex.
In a letter to the Town of Athabasca, the county gave their support to building a swimming pool and fitness centre at the multiplex, and further states that if the town decided to put a new library at the multiplex, the county would consider it a joint project.
“Athabasca County council agrees that a new swimming pool/fitness centre is a priority community project, and that the county is prepared to work though the multiplex board to replace the existing pool with a new pool at the Multiplex, to accomplish this joint community project as quickly as possible,” Mayor Roger Morrill stated at last Tuesday’s town council meeting. “It also goes on to say that county council has agreed to a new library as a second priority project, after the completion of the swimming pool.
“However, county council is also stating the new library must be included in the multiplex building to receive county support.”
Town council accepted the letter as information.
Athabasca County Reeve David Yurdiga said the town and county councils are on the same wavelength when it comes to the pool.
“Our current swimming pool has outlived its usefulness,” he said. “It’s going to take a lot of money to upgrade.
“But I think the library is a contentious issue.”
Yurdiga said the county isn’t trying to tell the town they should build the library at the multiplex, but they are putting the option out there.
“The library is a town jurisdiction,” he said. “But if it goes at the multiplex, we’re part owners of the multiplex and we would contribute towards the infrastructure, because it is part of the facility.”
Yurdiga stated that if the town wants the library downtown, that’s fine; they’ll still contribute to the operating costs.
“We have our own libraries in Rochester, Grassland and Wandering River,” he explained. “We contribute to the Athabasca Library because we know that people from the county use it.
“(But) we’re saying we’d prefer it to be at the multiplex.”
“When we’re building the pool, it makes economic sense to broaden the scope and complete the library and the pool at the same time,” he said.
