Amid structural safety concerns with the roof, the doors at the Shindleman Aquatic Centre in Portage la Prairie are now officially closed.

Portage Regional Recreation Authority (PRRA) general manager David Sattler says they've moved ahead with the planned Oct. 31 closure of the facility, and the hope is it will re-open by next fall.

"Everthing's moving along as we'd expect as this point," Sattler says. "We're hoping to have the facility completely open Sept. 1 2017, and that will entail all of the repairs that need to be done in that space for it to be safe for the public."

The City of Portage la Prairie, RM of Portage la Prairie and PRRA announced in September they were pursuing legal action against several contractors and engineers involved in the PCU Centre construction, after an independent building conditions assessment revealed issues with the pool's roof. Sattler says there hasn't been much progress to report on the legal front.

"We're hoping that within the next month a few more things will move forward," Sattler says. "And more information will be released at that time."

There will still be an opportunity to swim indoors in the area, Sattler adds, as the PRRA will begin offering AquaFit classes and swimming lessons beginning next Tuesday at Days Inn Portage la Prairie.

"We're going to try to see how that works," Sattler says. "If it works well, we're going to be looking at expanding that option to four days a week in the new year."

Sattler notes the Shindleman Aquatic Centre is an important community asset utilized not only by local citizens, but people from across Manitoba when Portage hosts major events. "To be able to get it back and operating as soon as possible is our No. 1 priority because we know how important it is to individuals of all ages," he says.