THOMPSON, MB – City council awarded the construction contract for the new Thompson Regional Aquatic
Centre at a special meeting on April 17, setting the stage for site preparation work to begin as soon as late
May.

Council unanimously approved Penn-Co Construction Canada as the prime contractor for construction of a
new pool next to the Thompson Regional Community Centre.

All of council also approved a contribution agreement that will see the City of Thompson receive an additional
$5 million of provincial government funding toward construction costs. Council also unanimously authorized
Stantec Architecture, which designed the new aquatic centre, to oversee construction on the City’s behalf.
Penn-Co anticipates work on the Thompson Regional Aquatic Centre project beginning May 1, with site setup
starting by the middle of next month and site preparations getting underway a week or two later.

“Those of us on council and Thompson residents as a whole have been waiting for this day for a long time and
I am thrilled that construction of the Thompson Regional Aquatic Centre is set to move ahead,” said Mayor
Colleen Smook.

Construction of the new aquatic centre, which will have a six-lane, 25-metre pool with one accessible lane, as
well as a beach-entry recreational pool and a sauna, is expected to take two years.

The City will continue fundraising to help offset the construction price of approximately $42.6 million. Existing
funding will be used to cover initial costs, supported by short-term borrowing if necessary, with a final
borrowing by-law to cover any remaining costs upon completion of construction