BELLA COOLA, BC, March 3, 2026 /CNW/ - Chandos Construction has completed the new Bella Coola Centennial Pool, replacing an aging 1967-era facility with a modern and resilient recreation asset for one of the most remote communities on British Columbia's central coast. The renewed pool will serve the Bella Coola valley's tight-knit population of just over 2,100 residents.

"For us, this pool is the beating heart of the community in the summer," said Jayme Kennedy, Chair and Area C Director, Central Coast Regional District (CCRD).

Delivering essential infrastructure in a uniquely remote location

Set deep within a coastal fjord and reachable only by long winding roads, ferry connections, or small aircraft, Bella Coola presents construction challenges far beyond typical project conditions. The project required demolition of the aging Centennial Pool, which had deteriorated significantly after a heavy rainfall event several years earlier. Community members, along with CCRD, rallied to secure funding to replace the essential facility.

"The old pool was in very poor condition," said Graham Pirie, Senior Superintendent at Chandos Construction. "The community and the regional district came together and raised the money to replace it."

To overcome the region's limited supply chains and long transportation timelines, Chandos worked with Carscadden Architecture to shift from traditional cast-in-place concrete construction to a prefabricated stainless-steel pool system manufactured by Berndorf Baderbau in Czechia. This approach allowed the basin to be fabricated overseas while site preparation was underway in Bella Coola, significantly reducing schedule and logistical risks.

"Because of the remoteness, getting materials on site is extremely challenging," said Dominic Ries, Director of Technical Solutions, Pre-Construction at Chandos. "While we were digging the foundations, the pool was being manufactured in Europe and shipped across the Atlantic. It saved a considerable amount of time."

Engineering for climate resiliency and long-term durability

Beyond its logistical benefits, the stainless-steel system was selected for its performance in Bella Coola's unique environmental conditions. Located within a 200-year floodplain, the region experiences periodic groundwater surges that create challenges for traditional concrete construction.

"Pools are designed to hold water, but here, we also had to manage water pushing in from the backside," said Ries. "Stainless steel eliminated permeability concerns and offered far better long-term resilience against groundwater saturation and against traditional damp-proofing on concrete swimming pool tanks."

This alternative construction method also delivered significant sustainability improvements. Compared with a conventional concrete pool, the installation was measured in weeks rather than the months required with a conventional concrete swimming pool pour schedule.  The added benefit is that the stainless-steel basin achieved a 68 per cent reduction in embodied CO₂e and prevented the consumption of more than 20,000 litres of diesel that would otherwise have been required for winter heating and hoarding.

Strengthening local economic participation through thoughtful material choices

Maximizing local involvement was central to the project's delivery. The only concrete supplier in the region is operated by the Nuxalk Nation, and transitioning to stainless steel ensured the project aligned with the community's available production capacity. Local concrete placers, framers, and general labourers were engaged throughout construction.

"There is only one concrete plant here, and it is owned by the local Indigenous nation," said Mathew Chrystian, Project Director, SSG. "By switching to stainless steel, we aligned the pool's concrete needs with what local supply could deliver. That local participation, and the mentorship and training that happened on site, was one of the most rewarding parts of this project."

Rigorous planning and coordination enabled smooth delivery

With mobilization windows of 14 to 21 days required for any equipment or materials, extensive planning and collaboration were essential. Flat packing the stainless-steel pool into sea containers and trucking it along the steep and winding road into the Bella Coola Valley required careful orchestration between Chandos, trade partners, and logistics teams.

"We knew logistics were going to be a challenge," said Pirie. "We had to look weeks ahead for every piece of equipment and every delivery to keep production going."

Chrystian added, "Shipping a flat-packed pool across the world and up a remote coastal route takes a level of coordination that only works with strong, trusting collaboration. Chandos excels in remote work, and you can see that experience reflected in the final product."

A durable, low-maintenance community facility delivered ahead of schedule

The durability of the stainless-steel material and the ease of basin maintenance were also important requirements for the community.  The sometimes unpredictable short schedule of the spring start-up and fall shutdown for the community was also a major consideration for the stainless-steel swimming pool selection. The community needed to be able to get the pool open quickly without typical spring pool coating touch-ups or any tile work that sometimes occurs with outdoor swimming pools, and shut it down quickly if an early freeze hits in the fall. "This pool is designed to freeze over without causing damage to the basin or piping," says Ries.

Completed one month ahead of schedule, the new Bella Coola Centennial Pool now provides a long-lasting, low-maintenance recreation facility built to support water safety, community well-being, and seasonal programs for decades to come.

"It has been a privilege to be part of this project," said Pirie. "At Chandos, when we say we are going to deliver something at a certain time and cost, we stand by that. We are proud of what we have built, and proud that the community is too."

ABOUT CHANDOS CONSTRUCTION

Established in 1980, Chandos Construction has become one of North America's most collaborative and innovative national technical builders. Employing more than 750 field and office staff in Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Kelowna, Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, and Chalk River, Chandos is 100 per cent employee owned. Chandos is a pioneer in integrated project delivery (IPD) and collaborative construction.

SOURCE Chandos Construction Ltd.