Fritz Sick Pool is a treasure to the community and well-loved by the people that use it, says General Manager of Canadian Recreation Excellence Sunni Belle.
The pool recently reopened after a renovation project was completed to improve the building’s accessibility and safety.
“It was important we do some upgrading, so it has a longer life and offers more to the public, more accessibility so more people will use it,” adds Belle. “Fritz is one of the only pools, besides Henderson, on the south end of the city.”
Upgrades include:
- Barrier-free showers and toilet stalls.
- Two new women’s showers (bringing the total to five), plus a universal shower.
- Widened access points to the pool and locker rooms.
- A new open, accessible entrance leading to a larger lobby with a barrier-free counter.
- Non-slip flooring throughout all locker rooms, washrooms and shower areas.
- Updated wheelchair ramps for easier mobility.
Belle adds there’s been a lot of changes to the facility’s front entry way, which is fantastic for our staff. “They have an ergonomically correct desk to work at and it’s aesthetically very beautiful.”
The change rooms, Belle notes, have more accessibility, showers, toilet stalls and space for the people using them.
“They widened the doors, so it’s more accessible to all that come into the facility. They’ve also added an all-accessible changing area, so we can accommodate people that should require an aide or assistance getting changed or a private place to change,” Belle adds.
Unforeseen issues with the pool basin delayed the reopening, but the pool reopened Monday.
Belle explains the pool was closed in November 2024 and reopening was supposed to be in the spring. “With older facilities you do come across some things that do need to be repaired, fixed or brought up to code. Sometimes things get delayed, get fixed and we get to reopen. So, we were a little bit late, but we’re very excited.”
People are slowly coming back to the facility, Belle adds. “We’ve had a lot of our regular patrons return. We’ve had great comments. People are happy to be back.”
Guest-wise, Belle notes, the change room changes are huge because they offer more places to shower. “There’s more washrooms available to use, so it’s eliminated a lot of congestion in the change room. The accessibility change room is a big hit because we do have a few people that enjoy the facility who are in a wheelchair. They’re able to get out to the pool deck a lot easier, and they have a great place to change. We’ve had great feedback.”
City of Lethbridge General Manager of Recreation and Culture Robin Harper adds during Capital Improvement Plan deliberations, stakeholders looked at renovating the pool from an accessibility standpoint. “We recognized it needed it. It’s a very old facility and was originally built as an outdoor pool. A lot of the configuration of the change rooms and everything is all original, so it did not meet accessibility standards. We wanted to upgrade it from a life cycle perspective to make it more accessible to the community, so more people could come enjoy it.”
Moving forward, Harper notes, the City is investigating options, as far as future needs for aquatic facilities. “Seeing that this one is old, it can’t last forever.”
The estimated budget for the upgrades was $900,000, with funding from the Facility Assessment and Accessibility Upgrades and City Lifecycle budgets.
All-in, the final cost was over a million dollars.
All programs previously offered at Fritz Sick Pool have resumed.
For the most up-to-date schedule and information, please visit recex.ca/lethbridge.
(Photo by Stan Ashbee)
(Photo by Stan Ashbee)
