The Nanaimo Aquatic Centre is due for some upgrades to its mechanical equipment to keep the popular facility running at peak efficiency. (File Photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

efficient upgrades

Equipment and efficiency upgrades at Nanaimo Aquatic Centre contingent on grant money

May 23, 2022 | 5:57 AM

NANAIMO — The future of a $5.6 million upgrade to the Nanaimo Aquatic Centre will be largely influenced by the result of a CleanBC grant.

City Councillors voted nearly unanimously to proceed with the project, which includes a proposed $4.1 million grant from the provincial government. The City would be on the hook for just under $1.5 million plus any overruns.

Jennifer McAskill, manager of facility asset planning, said two air handling units, a dehumidification system and boilers at the 21-year-old facility are part of the replacement project.

“It’s a staple in the community, a number of people use it and it’s a great opportunity to mesh a renewal need for an asset with an offering for funding from senior government and essentially kill those two birds with one stone.”

Upgrades will allow for better recovery of heat generated by the facility and allow it to be pumped back in for use, rather than letting it escape into the air outside.

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It’s forecast the upgrades will cut emissions at the facility by around 65 per cent by using higher efficiency equipment.

Coun. Ben Geselbracht was the lone vote against the upgrade, mainly for environmental reasons. He wanted to see more use of electrification instead of continuing to rely on natural gas.

McAskill said they’re being strategic in electrifying different areas of City infrastructure at the pool and other facilities.

“What we’ve done is looked for opportunities for really judicious application of electrification and increasing efficiencies while not putting all of our funds into one facility,” McAskill told Council during their Monday, May 16 meeting. “If we were to look at electrifying all of the mechanical systems, we’re double the budget that we’re looking at right now and increasing operational costs substantially.”

According to a City report, it would cost $11.2 million to fully electrify the NAC.

The centre is also the largest single producer of greenhouse gases, out of buildings owned and operated by the City of Nanaimo. It accounts for around 32 per cent of natural gas and 12 per cent of electricity usage every year.

McAskill added the grant process coming at the same time equipment nearing end of life presented a solid opportunity for the beloved centre.

“We have other facilities in the portfolio and it would be really great to take that additional money and put them into a different facility and ultimately reduce our emissions more significantly than if we’d just put them just into a single building.”

Approximately 300,000 people use the Nanaimo Aquatic Centre every year, with attendance remaining consistent year over year.

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