A conceptual design of the pool.

Image Credit: City of Vernon

Baffling government bureaucracy and a contradictory set of rules can be blamed for why Vernon kids won't get to cool off this summer at the much-anticipated reopening of the peanut pool.

The beloved pool was built in 1958 but was closed last summer as work began on the $3.3-million revitalization plan which was hoped to be ready by this summer.

However, to the disappointment and frustration of many, the City of Vernon announced Jan. 10 that the revamped Lakeview Pool wouldn't be opening this year.

Rather technically, the City blamed the delay on the fact that it needed to change the design from a skimmer to a gutter system.

In a media release, Vernon Mayor Victor Cumming said it was because of "factors outside of our control" that involved an "unexpected delay" in the provincial permit.

The crux of the delay comes down to the fact that in B.C. there are two sets of government regulations to follow when building a public swimming pool.

The B.C. Public Health Act, Pool Regulation which is B.C. law, and the B.C. Guidelines for Pool Design put out by the Ministry of Health.

While they are two sets of regulations to follow, the B.C. Public Health Act, Pool Regulation clearly states that if there is a discrepancy between the two, it governs.

When designing the pool, the City's contractor based its design on the regulations stipulated in the B.C. Public Health Act, Pool Regulation and went with the skimmer system.

However, when the City submitted the design to Interior Health to obtain a permit it was told the design needed a "gutter system" as per the B.C. Guidelines for Pool Design.

Confused? You should be.

Even the independent pool engineer the City consulted said the skimmer system met all the legal requirements and was appropriate.

However, that wasn't good enough for Interior Health, which told the City to change the system before a permit would be granted.

Interior Health didn't answer our question when asked why it forced the City to change its design when the design met the legal requirements.

Instead, Interior Health said the size and shape of the pool "unequivocally" pointed to using the gutter system.

"Skimmers could result in water quality issues for this pool, impacting the health and safety of users," Interior Health said in a statement.

The delay in the permitting process then led to construction delays as contractors found it too cold to pour the concrete.

Either way, the confusing red tape has led to another summer without the pleasure of cooling off at the much-loved peanut pool.

READ MORE: Vernon to cut down trees for peanut pool revamp

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