The Wallaceburg Sydenham District Pool has made strides on accessibility, and is now back in business.
The facility reopens Saturday, after it was closed for renovations to make it more wheelchair friendly.
Supervisor of Recreation Facilities Jane McGee says the former observation rooms have been converted into an accessible washroom.
"We need to accommodate all users, and that is our goal," McGee says, adding you'll notice the changes right away. "As soon as you walk through the admissions area, there will be another hallway that will lead you to the accessible washroom."
The re-opening is being marked by two free swims this afternoon – the first running from 1:30pm-4pm, the second one from 6pm-8pm.
The pool returns to regular hours on Sunday, with swimming lessons beginning Wednesday.
McGee says they were able to bring this project to fruition thanks in part to a nearly $50,000 grant from Employment and Social Development Canada.
The remainder of the funding was split between the municipality and the Lambton Kent District School Board, since the pool itself sits on lands owned by the board.
"The accessible washroom would have been very difficult [to complete on our own] at $130,000. That's a lot of money to put into renovating a small area," she says. "But it was an area that was definitely needed."
-With files from Matt Weverink.