Midale kicks fundraising efforts for new swimming pool into gear

MIDALE — The Town of Midale is ramping up fundraising efforts for a new outdoor swimming pool to replace the aging facility that has served the community for decades.

Vanessa Lund, administrative assistant at the town and treasurer for the swimming pool committee, emphasized the importance of the facility.

"The pool is such an important part of the community," she said. "It's open to everybody. It's also one of those things that draw people to live in our community."

The current pool, which has undergone multiple repairs over the years, is nearing the end of its lifespan. When it was fixed last in 2016, repair specialists told the town that the fix would last about 10 years and that would be the last one for the existing pool, Lund explained.

"So we've known for a while that we needed to start planning for this eventuality," she noted.

The cost of the new facility is estimated at $2 million, with $1.6 million going toward the pool itself and additional funds required for related infrastructure. Fundraising efforts have been ongoing, including community raffles and appeals to corporate sponsors.

"We are looking into grants all the time," Lund said. "We did one major fundraiser, raffling off a vacation. We have a few others coming up."

On Jan. 21, Kingston Midstream made a $50,000 donation toward the project.

Participating in a recent cheque presentation were, from left, Darren Istace, Kris Hollingshead and Gregg Prawdzik with Kingston Midstream, and Allan Hauglum, Vanessa Lund and Clinton Lund with the Town of Midale. 

"At Kingston Midstream, we are committed to building and maintaining strong relationships in the communities in which we live and operate," the company said in a statement. "As part of our commitment to communities, Kingston Midstream provides funding opportunities three times a year through the Richardson Foundation to organizations that provide services in the communities where we live and work."

Lund expressed gratitude for the corporate support.

"Shout out to Kingston. They know how important that is to our community," she said.

The town hopes to avoid a full-season closure during construction.

"The company that builds these pools will come in the mid to end of August," Lund said. "So we'll lose a couple of weeks at the end of August. And they work right through until they can't, and they come back again in the spring and keep working. So we shouldn't lose a season. We might lose a little bit of two seasons, but not a full season."

So far, approximately $100,000 has been raised, with a goal to begin construction by 2027 or 2028, depending on fundraising progress.

"We have to have the money before we can do it," Lund noted, adding that they are currently getting into a more active fundraising phase.

Residents and businesses interested in contributing can find more information on the Town of Midale's website.