Photo: The Town of Coronation celebrated the Grand Opening of the new Coronation Swimming Pool was held July 28.   It was funded through a combination of Government funding and private donations. Plans are now under way to enclose the facility.  Pictured are Mayor Shelley Cook, County Councillor Diane Elliott and a group of swimmers who enjoyed free swimming. Daryl Perry/The Coronation Connection

Residents marked the completion of the first phase of Coronation’s new aquatic facility with a grand-opening celebration and free swimming July 28.

The outdoor pool had officially opened to the public July 23, several days before the community celebration. A Facebook post from The Coronation Connection described the grand opening as the completion of the first phase of the project.

Mayor Shelley Cook and County of Paintearth Coun. Diane Elliott joined swimmers at the celebration. Elliott represents Division 7 and is one of the county representatives appointed to the Coronation Swimming Pool Subcommittee.

Council documents from June described the new facility as including a four-lane swimming pool, tot pool, lazy river, diving board and waterslide. With construction nearing completion at the time, council approved admission and membership fees, including a 50-per-cent reduction in annual memberships because of the shortened 2026 season.

Municipal records show the estimated cost of the first phase was about $1.698 million. Under a recreation agreement reached in March 2025, the Town of Coronation and County of Paintearth agreed to divide capital and operating costs equally, leaving each municipality responsible for an estimated $849,000.

The province approved $200,000 through the Alberta Community Partnership program for the pool study, public engagement, planning and implementation. The grant was divided between the town and county, reducing each municipality’s estimated share by $100,000.

Coronation also set aside more than $717,000 from its Local Government Fiscal Framework allocations. The town’s funding plan said the project could proceed without borrowing, a special levy or an increase to the local mill rate, depending on the final scope and use of its 2026 grant allocation.

The project followed years of work to keep the former pool operating.

The federal government contributed $108,800 for upgrades to the old facility in 2013. That work included improvements to the boiler and filtration system, replacement of tiles around the pool and resurfacing of the basin. The upgrades were intended to extend the pool’s operating life and reduce maintenance costs.

By 2025, however, the old facility required increasingly expensive repairs. A report presented to council said the pool was losing about two inches of water every four hours, costing an estimated $369 a day or approximately $11,000 a month. Emergency repairs completed in 2024 had cost about $26,000, while council was told it could cost at least another $52,000 to open the facility for a limited 2025 season.

Formal planning for its replacement was identified as a municipal priority in late 2024. By February 2025, council was considering an estimated $1.4-million pool and spray park project and discussing how accumulated provincial infrastructure funding and a contribution from the County of Paintearth could cover the cost.

Western Recreation & Development Inc. was selected to design and construct the facility. Public engagement was held in May 2025 to allow residents to rank proposed features and provide input on the project. The main swimming pool received the strongest support, followed by the hot tub, beach-entry tot pool and waterslide.

The new outdoor facility was planned as the first of two possible phases. Town documents said the pool and supporting infrastructure were to be designed so that a building could eventually be added around them.

A possible enclosure remains dependent on additional funding and decisions by both municipal councils.

Coronation and the Coronation & District Wellness Society previously explored an application for as much as $1 million through the Community Facility Enhancement Program to assist with an enclosure or recreation building.

Work on the concept continued during construction. A May 2026 pool report said town representatives had met virtually with Sprung Structures, a company that produces fabric building systems, and were waiting for preliminary cost information.

Council continued receiving pool updates as construction progressed through May, June and early July. Cold overnight temperatures and spring snowfall slowed some concrete work, but installation of the pool basin, utilities, mechanical equipment and surrounding deck continued ahead of the July opening.

The July 28 celebration gave residents their first opportunity to gather formally at the completed facility, while planning continues for the possibility of turning it into a year-round regional recreation centre.