Vernon's new $4.4 million wading pool set to open

Grossly over budget and a year late Vernon's beloved peanut wading pool is scheduled to reopen on Friday. The Lakeview Wading Pool, commonly known as the Peanut Pool, will open Friday, June 28 and stay open seven days a week for the rest of the summer. The opening of the $4.4-million wading pool will be a welcome relief for those wanting to cool down in the hot summer months. The roughly 20-metre-long pool has about the same volume as the old pool but the new design makes it accessible for all abilities. The pool also has changing rooms and washrooms, and a line running through the pool marks where the old peanut pool once was. A small splash pad, in the original peanut shape, has also been built at the site. The popular pool in Vernon's East Hill neighbourhood originally opened in 1958 and closed several years ago when construction began on a full revamp. However, the revamp didn't go smoothly. It was originally thought to cost about $2.5 million to rebuild the pool and the City got $1.9 million in federal and provincial grants. But the estimate came in at $3.4 million, which then climbed to $4.4 million during construction. A tentative opening for summer 2023 was also pushed back after the original design had to be changed on the instruction of the Interior Health Authority. Along with those setbacks, an arborist report also required several large trees to be chopped down, removing plenty of natural shade. Lakeview Wading Pool will be open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. with a short closure from 1:30 p.m. until 2 p.m. for cleaning. The City says space is limited and availability is on a first come first serve basis. To contact a reporter for this story, email Ben Bulmer mailto:bbulmer@infonews.ca  or call (250) 309-5230 or email the editor mailto:news@infonews.ca . You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom mailto:tips@infonews.ca  and be entered to win a monthly prize draw. We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here https://infotel.ca/newsletter .