NAIT closes pool permanently, says it has ‘little connection’ to academic programs

The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology announced Friday that it will no longer maintain its pool, due to financial strain and the “little connection” it has to academic programs at the facility.

NAIT had initially closed its recreation services in March as the COVID-19 pandemic hit Alberta.

In a tweet Friday, the Edmonton school announced the pool facilities that were previously part of the NAIT’s recreation programs will be closed permanently.

The funding that was previously used to operate the pool will be diverted to “quality fitness and recreation programs that are accessible to all students.”

The school said this fall, it will be offering both in-person and online learning for most of its 40,000 students.

All recreation programs will be offered online only going into the fall semester. Students who need to access the recreation centres for learning purposes will be the only ones permitted to use them.

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In early March, before COVID-19-related shutdowns began, the school said it would be laying off between 190 and 240 positions due to provincial budget cuts.