Aquarena repair costs rise for work required to meet Canada Games standards
Internal emails last fall warned of time pressures to get job done
The 2025 Canada Games are 856 days away, but there are questions about the status of work required to make one key piece of infrastructure meet the standards for the event.
The Aquarena was initially built for the 1977 Games — the last time Newfoundland and Labrador hosted the marquee summer sports competition.
The facility on Memorial University's campus in St. John's will host swimming, diving and artistic swimming events just over two years from now.
CBC Investigates has obtained records flagging ballooning budget estimates to fix up the facility and concerns raised last fall about the importance of getting work started as soon as possible to ensure it is ready on time.
For months, CBC has been asking for details on what the plan is for the largest pool in the province, but those involved have had very little to say.
Now internal documents — obtained from the university and the provincial government through an access-to-information request — shed at least some light on the situation.
Assessments done in 2020
This isn't a new issue. Memorial University hired an engineering firm to complete an assessment of the Aquarena and Field House in January 2020.
By the end of 2020, another firm had finished a facility condition assessment of the two buildings.
That report estimated that more than $8.4 million in work was required to be completed before the facilities would be ready to host the Games. Most of that total — about $6.4 million — was earmarked specifically for the Aquarena.
Fast-forward nearly two years, and that total appears to have jumped — although it's not clear by how much.
Premier Andrew Furey was briefed on the matter in early October before meeting with officials from the City of St. John's.
The premier was told Memorial University had advised the province in mid-September of "unforeseen cost increases, rationale for the unforeseen increases and risks to project completion if additional funding is not approved immediately."
CBC Investigates obtained that meeting note prepared for the premier through an access-to-information request.
"All work is required to ensure the facility meets 2025 Canada Games minimum sport technical standards," it added.
At that point, $9.1 million in provincial funding had been approved for MUN to upgrade the mechanical and electrical systems at the Aquarena and the Field House.
'We are tightening the schedule'
CBC News asked MUN for the briefing note the university sent to the province about those increased costs.
The version provided in response was almost entirely blacked out.
But internal correspondence shows that, by September 2022, concern had started to grow at the university.
In a series of emails, while searching for answers, director and general manager Craig Neil of The Works wrote "every day goes by we are tightening the schedule."
On Sept. 11, the province's director of recreation and sport, Michelle Healey, acknowledged the "time sensitivity" of the project and asked, "What timelines are you thinking a decision would need to be made/communicated to Memorial at the latest?"
Virtual meeting notes in January advised "nothing additional to add on budget at this point."
The entire project timeline status section was blacked out in the documents the university provided to the CBC.
It's not clear what has happened since, and there has been no apparent public indication of plans for the work going forward.
The university and Canada Games host society did not respond to the CBC's messages before deadline.
In an emailed statement sent late Tuesday afternoon, the province said a cost estimate for the Aquarena work is expected in early May. It was originally slated to be provided March 31.
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