People are flocking to the pool in Inuvik, N.W.T., after 3-year closure

After a three-year closure, the Inuvik, N.W.T., swimming pool is back open to the public and it's been popular to say the least.

Since reopening in March, the pool has been steadily busy and some days it's even packed to capacity.

Residents have enjoyed free swimming in all programs, thanks to donations from the Town of Inuvik in March, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation in April, and now the Gwich'in Tribal Council, which is covering all admission costs for the month of May.

Shandy Onishenko is the aquatic supervisor for the Town of Inuvik. She arrived in the community this past October and after some fixes and preparing the building for the public, she focused on assembling a team to run the facility.

"It has been immensely popular, the bookings for public and family have been at full capacity almost every single day. And it's just been so awesome to see the kids come back, most of them for the first time in a swimming pool ever, so it's been an incredibly rewarding experience." she said.

The pool is open to residents from noon to 9:00 p.m., Wednesday to Sunday — including the sauna and steam room. 

People are asked to call in and reserve a spot for the following day. Capacity in the pool is capped at 50 swimmers per session.

There have been some hiccups along the way. In a public notice posted to Facebook, the Town of Inuvik has warned people against rubbing up against the pool walls. "The sealant has shown to transfer to the swimsuits of some swimmers who have," the notice reads. 

Onishenko said once the pool has more lifeguards, the facility will open to more people at a time.

A training course is happening at the pool with 10 new people hoping to become lifeguards. Onishenko said training the new lifeguards will take some time, but she is confident the new crew will do well.

"Starting this Saturday I have ten candidates coming to start their lifeguard career journey, so I'm super pumped to get them in the water training and see what they have to give," she said.

This weekend's session is only the first of many training seminars the potential lifeguards will face.