EDMONTON -- The Bonnie Doon Leisure Centre pool is expected to open in January after a three-year renovation.

The refurbished facility will feature new parking, building siding, and upgrades to its saltwater chlorination system as well as pool.

Duane Gingras, president of the Bonnie Doon Community League, called the pool’s reopening has been long awaited.  

“We're a little bit lucky in the summertime; we have the… Mill Creek Pool. But in the winter, and year round access, it’ll be nice to have the pool close by,” he told CTV News Edmonton.

The nearly $14-million renovation project began in 2016.

“I moved up here a few years back and I’ve never seen the place,” Gingras said.

The community representative added he and others in the community felt frustrated at both the process and how the city kept users informed.

“A lot of the delays that came out, the details for why it was being delayed wasn’t clear. And so you couldn’t target your frustration on anything; it was just a generalized frustration that it was further delayed without clear insight as to what caused the delay.”

When the City announced the facility’s New Year reopening in a November letter to community residents, it also addressed the delays the project faced.

“This rehabilitation project was met with numerous unforeseen circumstances that extended the reopening date beyond what we originally planned and communicated. Some of the larger obstacles to note are the removal of more hazardous materials than expected, as well as the need to replace the sanitary system underground,” the City of Edmonton letter reads in part.

Jesse Banford, acting branch manager of infrastructure delivery, said the city has heard the community’s feedback.

“We recognize that it’s frustrating for residents to have to wait for a facility in their community,” Banford wrote in a statement.

“A lot of work has been completed “back of house” to repair and upgrade mechanical and electrical systems, and to make visible improvements to both the interior and exterior. Shortly, we will be delivering a pool that provides better water for swimming, uses less energy, and is more accessible. We think it’s a pool the community will be proud of.”

The leisure centre is 50 years old.