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“We are incredibly pleased to advance the development of a new indoor aquatic facility, complete with an innovative geothermal heating facility supported by the research and work of the Petroleum Technology Research Centre and the University of Regina,” said Mayor Sandra Masters in the statement. “These projects are great examples of where investments from all three levels of government are serving to meet the needs of residents and enhancing our quality of life.”
As part of her platform when she ran for mayor, Masters promised to build an $85-million aquatic centre to address a void she felt existed in the city and would revitalize Regina’s economy.
The new space aims to deliver on Regina’s “top recreational priority” from the 2019 Recreational Master Plan, will meet national competition standards and is expected to see approximately 600,000 swim visits annually, the release notes. It will also have “modern” community spaces, amenities and change rooms to support a “multi-functional, inclusive, accessible and sustainable facility.”
“Providing an appropriate space for people of all ages to use and enjoy is at the heart of this project,” said Saskatchewan Government Relations Minister Don McMorris in Thursday’s statement. “A new and improved aquatic centre has long been talked about in Regina, and today, we couldn’t be more excited to see this project move forward. Investing in infrastructure projects like the new aquatic centre is integral to our communities advancing and expanding to best service the residents of our province.”
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Funding for the project will support the construction of a deep geothermal heating facility to provide energy to the new aquatic centre. Naturally-occurring hot water will be extracted from the earth and used to heat the aquatic facility before being returned underground. A statement from the province says this clean energy technology will support a greener community, supporting Regina’s goal of being net zero by 2050.
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“As a government, we are proud to support projects that not only help communities accommodate their growth but also reduce greenhouse gas emissions along the way,” said Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities of Canada Sean Fraser in the statement. “I am excited that this new facility will not only do that, but will also bring people together for decades to come.”
The new facility will be bigger, and have more multi-purpose spaces to “better serve the community.”
A date for when construction of the facility begins or when it will be complete has yet to be announced.
More to come…
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