It’s time to break out your swimsuits and sandals and prepare for another season of poolside fun at Arborg’s Access Aquatic Centre.
The Arborg-Bifrost Parks and Recreation Commission is getting ready to pull the cover off its outdoor pool, polish the decks and hose down the waterslides.
The pool will be celebrating its 16th season this year when it opens on Saturday, June 7.
It has a plethora of programs for all ages, including a new program in which kids and their parents can simply drop in for swimming lessons.
“Families with young children (under 4 years of age) may not be able to attend every swim class during the week, so we will offer a few drop-in classes where a parent and child can just drop in for a lesson,” said recreation director Tom Chwaliboga. “We will monitor these classes and make changes as necessary. Drop-in classes are just one more way of trying to accommodate families. The children won’t receive a pass or fail for the class – it’s all about getting children feeling comfortable in the water.”
The Access Aquatic Centre provides hours of fun for all ages. It has a pre-school swim area, numerous spray features, three water slides and a 25-metre lane pool.
In addition to the new drop-in swimming classes, the aquatic centre will be offering Aquasize classes in June (at lunch hour) and in July (evening classes), as well as Aqua Zumba classes in July.
The Arborg pool is a major venue for teaching children about water safety and swimming skills. Every year the pool sees about 400 children from across the Interlake enroll in swimming lessons.
“The Interlake is surrounded by two massive lakes and features numerous streams, ditches, ponds and rivers, so being able to swim and having water-safety knowledge is vital for everyone,” said Chwaliboga.
Along with swimming lessons, the pool will offer Lifesaving Society courses such as Bronze Medallion, Bronze Cross, and Lifeguard (NLS) Courses. And for those who want to become a swim instructor and earn money this summer, the Swim for Life Instructor course will also be offered.
“We’ve been very fortunate over the years to have had great staff, but every year we are looking for more as some graduate university and move on to their chosen profession,” said Chwaliboga. “To efficiently operate the Aquatic Centre, we require around 10 staff members to instruct and lifeguard. It’s a great summer job.”
The pool can be rented for celebrations such as birthdays, employee appreciation events, family reunions or other occasions. There are time slots throughout the summer for private rentals.
“Private Rentals are very popular,” said Chwaliboga. “We usually sell out all openings very quickly as people enjoy having the aquatic centre to just themselves.”
Online registration for swimming lessons and all the Lifesaving Society programs will start on Thursday, May 1. Visit the Town of Arborg’s website to register.
For more information on the Access Aquatic Centre and its programs, contact the recreation office at (204) 376-5576 or email: recdirector@townofarborg.com
