For Rachelle Tiemstra the news was a bombshell.
She first heard about the pool closure on Tuesday morning, a day after the Town council’s decision.
“I am still in shock,” she said in the afternoon. “I didn’t know this was coming.”
Rachelle, who lives just outside Barrhead, has worked at the pool more than two years, becoming the head deck supervisor. Processing the news and what it means for her life will take time.
Another head guard, Kyrie Bauer, said she understood health and safety concerns, and believed the Town had acted in the community’s best interests.
However, that that did not lessen the harrowing effect of closure.
“I think it’s a very sad day,” she said.
In her seven years at the pool, Kyrie has witnessed the benefits of swimming for all sectors of the community, from the very young to the old. Now they will have to look elsewhere for recreation and therapy.
Although she loved her job, Kyrie’s ambitions were already targeted elsewhere.
“I am studying to be a nurse,’ she said.
Pool employees included two full-timers: Aquatics Supervisor Debbie Crossland and Senior Head Guard Liz Kletzel.
There were also part-time/casual staff, some of them university students.
Among the part-timers were: Ashleigh Novikoff (head guard), Rachelle Tiemstra (head guard), Nancy Acevedo (junior guard), Alixandra Birnie (head guard), Sierra Busch (junior guard), Taylor Card (junior guard), Jordan Caseley (junior guard), Andrew Millar (junior guard), Gabrielle Raymond (junior guard), and Taryn Sekulich (junior guard).
Occasional staff included Will Assenheimer, Sean Starman, Melissa Strawson, Megan Birnie, Kyrie Bauer, and Jenelle McCaw. All were head guards.
In addition, Margaret Osborne, was a lesson instructor.
Efforts are now being made to find staff jobs in other communities like Westlock and Whitecourt.
Crossland, who was hired in December, said she would be kept on to help close the pool.
Work involved draining the pool, dealing with equipment and sending letters to user groups.
“I am very sad this is happening,” said Crossland. “I have gotten quite close to the staff and had lots of hopes and dreams. There were lots of things I was going to do at the pool.
“The decision to close the pool is disappointing, but I know as a lifeguard instructor that safety must come first. So I support the decision even though it will mean the end of my job in a couple of weeks.”
Crossland had been planning to move from Westlock to Barrhead. Fortunately, she had not gone so far as to buy a new house.
She hopes the Town and County of Barrhead will come together to build a new aquatic centre.
“Barrhead needs a pool,” she said.
Parks and recreation director Sue Keenan said all the staff had accepted the closure news very graciously.
Although disappointing, the Town’s decision was not surprising, she said.
She added that aquatic centres in other communities were being contacted in the hope they could hire Barrhead employees.
Keenan said the task of closing the pool would include selling off assets like lane ropes and flooder boards.
