Swift Current City Council went against staff recommendations in choosing the contractor for the final portion of repairs to the roof of the Aquatic Centre. Staff and contractor Garland Canada recommended the bid from Flynn Canada for $423,152. They were the lowest bidder who would also complete the project in July and August while the Aquatic Centre and Swift Current Comprehensive High School were closed. Another bidder, Optimum Roofing, came in at $321,958. Their bid wouldn't fit within the timeline the city had requested. "I question us not going with the low bidder," said Councillor Tom Christiansen. "All of the eight bidders were pre-qualified, and they're all certified. We made the recommendation not to go with a low bidder on a timing thing, but for almost $100,000, I'm willing to put up with a little bit of inconvenience." Potential disruptions Councillor Bruce Deg then asked for clarification on what issues may arise from the Optimum Roofing bid, which would not work within their stated timeline. "There would be a disruption in the parking lot for the staging area for the roof as we get set up to complete that structure piece," said Nicole Spenst, General Manager of Community Services. "Then there would be construction going on during the day when the facility is used, as well as the school is in progress." She did note the Aquatic Centre should be able to stay open while this portion of the roof repair is done. Related Stories: More roof repairs lined up for Aquatic Centre Southwest Facility Foundation reaffirms goal after grant denial Aquatic Centre comes in $600,000 under budget How the City plans to invest $2.1 million into the Aquatic Centre Eyes on budget "This is a bit of an interesting process for us to go through here having just come off of a couple of very full days of budget deliberations in which you're trying to find an extra little bit of money here or there," said Councillor Ryan Plewis. "I think it's a well-reasoned recommendation in this case. But I do think that, as much as there may be some additional disruption and, maybe even some question about safety issues with respect to the timing of the project, I think that these are all professional contractors. They all have worked in environments where there's other activities happening. "The opportunity to save this money to me outweighs the additional concern, and I would be satisfied that we would be perfectly well served by going with the cheapest contractor in this case." Council decided instead to accept the bid from Optimum Roofing. The funds come from the $2.1 million council budgeted in the spring of 2025 for the Swift Current Aquatic Centre refurbishment project. The work is for the roofs above the main entrance, change rooms, and back-office areas at the Aquatic Centre. The main roof over the actual pool was replaced in 2024. The City of Swift Current continues to work towards finding grant money to eventually replace the 45-year-old Aquatic Centre. The Southwest Facility Foundation has raised over $5 million towards that goal.