North

Opening of Yellowknife's new aquatic centre delayed again

Originally expected to open in January, the city confirmed to CBC Tuesday that the new opening date is "early into the second quarter of 2025."

New pool will now open in the second quarter of 2025 instead of in January

A beige building with a brown roof squats in snow.
Yellowknife's new aquatic facility, pictured here on Wednesday, won't open until the second quarter of 2025 now. (Richard Gleeson/CBC)

The opening date for Yellowknife's new aquatic facility has been pushed back for a second time.

Originally expected to open in September 2024, and then delayed to sometime between January and March 2025, the city confirmed to CBC Tuesday that the new opening date is now "early into the second quarter of 2025."

Last year, the city said the wildfire evacuation meant the project would likely be delayed by two and a half months, but that the delay wouldn't increase the cost of the pool.

The city is locked into a $71-million price tag for the project.

In November 2021, residents of Yellowknife voted through a city referendum to support the city borrowing $10 million toward the completion of the aquatic centre.

The rest of the project is being paid for by federal grant funding, and other government funding streams along with some city savings.

With files from Hilary Bird