The TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre celebrates its 20th anniversary on Oct. 1 with high hopes of continuing to recover from the pandemic, helped in part by an increase in funding from the three municipalities that support it.
Revenues are "not quite back to our pre-COVID level, but we're certainly on our way," general manager Lenny Richer told Spruce Grove city council during a budget presentation on Sept. 26. "We're busier, we've got more staff back in the building, for sure."
The facility, located on the western edge of Spruce Grove, is jointly funded by the City of Spruce Grove, the Town of Stony Plain, and Parkland County. The joint corporation that runs the centre is asking that the municipalities contribute $3.16 million in 2023, up from $2.36 million in 2022, largely due to increased capital and infrastructure needs.
The centre is forecasting cost recovery of 73.17% in 2023, lower than the 77.95% achieved in 2019 but far higher than the pandemic years, which saw cost recovery plummet by more than 20 percentage points. Operating expenses for 2023 are expected to top $8 million.
The Tri Leisure Centre has found some creative ways to fund upgrades — for example, it is working with the Parkland Pirates aquatic club to provide a new headwall and starting blocks in the pool for racing, Richer said. And since the beginning, the facility has earned revenue from sponsorships, including the title sponsorship from TransAlta, while Edmonton is just now exploring naming rights for its arenas.
The TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre celebrates its 20th anniversary on Oct. 1. (Supplied)
Spruce Grove's city council did not seem to balk at the bigger ask, despite paying the lion's share of the municipal contribution. Coun. Reid MacDonald noted that he hears complaints about access to swimming lessons, and Richer acknowledged that there are 800 people on the waiting list, suggesting the facility is very well-used.
A study of shared service arrangements published in 2004 cited the Tri Leisure Centre as a case study for achieving economies of scale while managing partners' risk.
"A project of this magnitude would not likely be pursued by any of the partners individually due to financial cost and financial risk involved in such a large-scale project," the paper said. None of the three municipalities could have afforded to build a $28-million facility on its own without significant tax increases, the report said, never mind the ongoing operating costs.
The celebrations planned for Oct. 1 include free swimming, skating, and access to the rest of the facilities from 2pm to 9pm, after a ceremony at 1pm.