Please Note: The Hot Tub at Talisman Centre will be closed on Thursday, June 3rd from 7:00AM to 4:00PM for routine cleaning and maintenance.

There is no drop-in admission Monday through Thursday between 4:30 and 7:30PM only. Drop-in admission is welcome any time before 4:30pm or after 7:30pm Monday through Thursday, or anytime during the weekend (Friday to Sunday).

Members (including 10-card pass holders) may continue to use the facility during these times.

This policy has been implemented during our 2010 construction project to ensure that our members have access to the pools, gyms and fitness centre equipment during times of peak facility use.

The Yoga class scheduled for 6:30AM on Thursday, May 13th has been canceled. We regret any inconvenience this may cause.

The Canadian Men's Olympic Water Polo Team, who competed in the Olympics last year, are preparing for the upcoming Canadian Senior Nationals (May 27th to 30th) and for the Italian Open (July 20-26). To accommodate their requirement of a 30-metre pool, public swimming will be reduced to 20 metres on the following dates/times:

• Saturday May 15th from 6:00pm to 9:00pm
• Saturday May 22nd from 5:30pm to 9:00pm

We regret any inconvenience, and wish our national Men's Water Polo Team the best of luck!

Talisman Centre closes at 11:00pm during the week, and 10:00pm on weekends and holidays. In order to ensure we are able to close the facility safely and on-time, there is no admittance to the building 30 minutes before closing. This means that no new customers will be admitted after 10:30pm on weekdays or after 9:30pm on weekends and holidays. We appreciate your cooperation!

The 20-person hot-tub will be closed on Thursday, May 6th, for routine cleaning and maintenance.

The 20-person hot-tub will be closed on Wednesday, April 7th, from 7:00AM to 4:00PM for routine cleaning and maintenance.

On April 23-25th we will not have public gym space available during the following times:
Friday April 23rd: 7-9pm
Saturday, April 24th: 6:30-8:30am / 6pm-8pm
Sunday, April 25th: 12pm-4pm.

Our closing time is staying the same: 11:00 on weekdays, 10:00 on weekends and holidays. Normally, we lock our doors fifteen minutes prior to closing; that is, no one else can come in after 10:45 during the week or 9:45 on the weekends. Starting April 1st, Talisman Centre's doors will lock fifteen minutes earlier (i.e. at 10:30pm instead of 10:45, and 9:30pm on the weekend), and all customers will have to be out by 11:30pm (or 10:30pm on the weekend). This will allow our employees to close the facility for the night in a timely fashion, and get the rest they need to be cheerful and bright-eyed the next day!

New Policies Effective March 1st, 2010
We encourage all our members to familiarize themselves with the following policies and guidelines, which will go into effect on March 1st. (On that day, the tented portion of Talisman Centre will close for the remainder of 2010, while the two annex buildings will remain open.)

GENERAL

• Parking lot will be monitored, and proof of facility use will be required for entry (ie. Membership card or pass).
• Members must bring valid membership card to access the facility, otherwise a drop-in fee will be charged.
• Drop-in users must provide ID for admission. 
• Members-only admission after 3:00PM daily. There will be no drop-in admission or “Late Rate” after 3:00PM in 2010. 
• Spectator access will be limited to parents and guardians of underage sport partner athletes. 
• Quarter lockers will not be available. Please bring your own lock, or purchase one at the Customer Service Desk.

AQUATICS

• No outdoor footwear on deck. Shoe covers are available if necessary.
• No changing on deck. 
• Showers will be available on the pool deck and everyone must shower before entering pool. 
• The most up-to-date information is posted to the online Daily Schedule.

FITNESS CENTRE AND GYMS

• The free-weight area in the Profile Room will be unavailable 30 minutes before and after a Yoga class.
• Space is limited for Group Fitness classes. Access cards will be available on a first-come, first- served basis 30 minutes prior to the class. (Your membership card or other ID will act as collateral in exchange for the class access card).
• The most up-to-date information is posted to the online Daily Schedule.

Please note: The tunnel linking the Aquatics and Dryland areas may be closed for ten to fifteen minutes at a time during high-risk construction activities. Thank you for your patience during these times.

Occasionally there are more swim lanes available for public use than we anticipate, and we encourage our members to check the daily schedule and this blog for the latest scheduling updates and information. This weekend, the public swim times are as follows:


Saturday, Feb 20th
6:00am to 10:00am – 8 lanes
11:30am to 10:00pm – 8 lanes

Sunday, Feb 21st
7:00am to 4:00pm – 8 lanes
4:00pm to 10:00pm – 4 lanes

Temporary Closure for Tuesday, February 16th:

The Foundation Lounge is closed today due to construction. We anticipate that it will reopen in the late afternoon.

As of March 1, 2010 access via the Main Building (aka Tent) will be closed.   Please watch for the signs directing you to the NEW access points:

North Entrance: Located around the corner from Lifemark Health

South Entrance: Located at the Foundation Lounge

Traffic Circle: The Traffic Circle will also be re-directed to facilitate construction

Watch for the following changes as final preparations are underway for the March 1, 2010 switch over to the two annexes:

Wednesday February 17 - Athletic Training Zone closes at 11pm

Thursday February 18 - Team Training Zone closes at 11pm

Tuesday February 23 - 11pm the Main Weight Room & Cardio Deck (surrounding Gym 3) close for the move

Friday February 26 - Group Fitness classes cancelled in the Gym due to equipment moves & the Keiser Bikes move out of the Profile Room

Saturday February 27 - Group Fitness classes cancelled in the Gym due to equipment moves

Sunday February 28 - Yoga is in the Profile Room

Effective Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at 12:30pm
The Foundation Lounge Washrooms & Lower Lounge will be closed temporarily to facilitate construction work. Alternative washrooms are located on the Main Concourse near the Customer Service Desk.

Effective Wednesday, February 10, 2010 from 8am to 9am
There will be intermittent tunnel closures on the Aquatic side to facilitate construction work. The closures will each last for up to 15 minutes. The closure may require customers to wait on the pooldeck or in the changeroom until the tunnel is reopened, and access through the tunnel is restored.

Crane Technique: Preparations are moving forward for the placement of the construction cranes outside the building.

In Through the Out Door: Construction is underway creating the two temporary Customer Service Desk entrances in the Foundation Lounge and in the Fitness Centre.

Traffic Stop: The traffic circle on the south end of the building will be closed as of March 1st, 2010.

Go with the flow: The temporary showers for the pool deck are being designed and will be ready to flow on March 1st 2010.

Stay tuned to the blog to keep up-to-date with all the latest news and information about Talisman Centre!

Tuesday January 19th Dominion Construction will be extending their blue barricaded area. This will impact the parking on the North side of the main entrance towards Lifemark. Our parking will be reduced by approx 20 stalls. This will only be for tomorrow morning only and the parking should be back to normal by 1:00pm.

Q. Is the cost of a locker rental going up this year?
A. No. Lockers can be used for 25 cents for the remainder of 2010. We are expecting the new lockers that will be in place in 2011 to accept dollar coins.

Q. Where can we park other than the main parking lot?
A. There is no official offsite parking for Talisman Centre customers, although we encourage people to use public transit, if that is a viable option for them. The good news is that we're going to have more parking spaces available than we thought we were, so we don't expect parking at Talisman Centre to be a problem. We are finalizing an arrangement that would allow Talisman Centre employees to park elsewhere, which would further relieve any strain on our lot.

Q. Will we have to walk through the weight room to access the change rooms once the main entrances are closed?
A. Yes, if you enter on the "dryland" side of the building. Both the dryland and aquatic sides of the building will be accessible to one another via hoarding, but depending on the side you enter, you will need to pass through the weight room in order to get to the change rooms.

Email your questions to:  info@talismancentre.com

Q: What is happening with the water that is being drained from the aquatic side?
A: The project team worked with the City of Calgary regarding the water disposal from the pools. A number of recycling options were proposed and evaluated. The pool water prior to draining has been treated to lower the chlorine level. The pool water is being drained into the sanitary sewer system which then flows into one of the three City of Calgary Wastewater Treatment plants.

Q: How can I access the pooldeck from the Family Caregiver Changrooms?
A: Direct access onto the pooldeck from the Family Caregiver Changerooms has been closed off as the pool area is now considered a construction zone. To access the pooldeck, you will need to go through the Men’s or Women’s Public Locker Rooms. In cases where travel requires the accompaniment of a different gender, please contact the Customer Service Desk on the Main Concourse and we will be happy to assist you. In the near future, there will be a covered safety walkway constructed to provide you with direct access to the training pool.

Q: What is happening with the 10-card pass and drop-in admissions in 2010?
A: The 10-card pass is considered a "membership" category and yes we are still selling 10-card passes in 2010. The 10-card pass will permit access after 3pm. The “No drop-in admission after 3pm” and cessation of late rate applies starting March 1, 2010.

Q: What is happening with the Executive Locker Rooms?
A: The Executive Locker Rooms will close as scheduled on January 31, 2010 to begin preparation for the transition to temporary locker room space in 2010. The public locker rooms will remain open until it is time to start renovations.

Q: What is happening with Café Sante?
A: As of January 1, 2010, Café Santé is operating with reduced hours and operating hours may vary depending on the volume of sales. In addition, the Café Team is working to creatively utilize the food inventory so the menu selection may not always be available as posted. Café Santé is scheduled to close on Friday, February 12, 2010.

Send your 2010 questions to info@talismancentre.com!

As many of you are aware, starting on Monday, February 15th we are unable to offer our popular Ripped drop-in fitness class at Talisman Centre. This is due to our 2010 construction project, which means that Ripped will be on hiatus at Talisman Centre until 2011, but that doesn't mean you can't still enjoy your Ripped workouts in 2010! To find out more about your options at Fitness Plus locations in Calgary, download the special PDF or visit our Ripped info page.

For the months of January and February 2010, childcare must be accessed via the doors outside the Riverview room on the north side of our building.

We will be observing all regular hours of operation for the month of January:

Monday to Friday 8:45am to 3pm
Monday and Wednesday evenings from 5pm-8pm (Last evenings Jan 25&27)
Saturdays from 10am-2pm
Sundays from 9:45am -2pm



Unfortunately, due to the approaching start of our renovations and a decline in demand, our evening hours will NOT be available during the month of February. We apologize for any inconvienence this may cause.

For the month of February, our hours of operation will be:

Monday to Friday 8:45am to 3pm
Saturdays from 10am-2pm
Sundays from 9:45am -2pm


Our Last day for Childcare Will be February 15 2010. This is a holiday and it is also the last day for the Ripped class. We anticipate it may be busy on this day so if you are considering coming in
we suggest that you prebook you child's spot to avoid any disappointment.



If you have any questions or concerns please contact our Customer Service Desk, or you may phone Childcare directly at 403-355-1273. Thank you!

Talisman Centre is looking different every day as our 2010 construction project continues to ramp up! Maybe your regular routine has been interrupted, or maybe you're barely noticing a difference. Either way, here's a refresher on the best places to get your 2010 info.

1. The Blog. First of all, the fact that you're reading this means you know about our blog. That's good, because the day-to-day updates and alerts about the project that may impact you will be posted here first. So if this is your first time reading the blog, keep coming back!
2. The Guide. Secondly, when it comes to programs and services, you should really take a look at our 2010 Guide. It has virtually everything you need to know about programs and services being offered this year.
3. The Site. Third, a great resource are our Q&A's. These are organized by topic, and can be found on our dedicated 2010 site: www.talismancentre.com/2010. (There's a tab for it at the top of this page, next to the "Blog" tab.) The Q&A's are updated frequently, and in addition to the blog, should answer all of the most frequently asked questions.

But what if you still want to know more? More details? More about the construction process, or even why it's happening? If you can't find satisfaction with any of the above methods, than this contact list is for you. These are the people, phone numbers, email addresses and websites where you may direct your questions and/or concerns, depending on their nature:

Questions about Talisman Centre's Facility Upgrade:
Call: 3-1-1
E-mail: 3-1-1contactus@calgary.ca
You can also visit the City of Calgary's Talisman Centre Page

Talisman Centre customer/operations inquiries:
Call: 403-233-8393
E-mail: info@talismancentre.com (or use our handy contact form)
Visit www.talismancentre.com/2010

Media inquiries on Talisman Centre operations:
Robin Mitchell
President & Chief Operating Officer of Talisman Centre
ph: 403-233-8393

As of January 1, 2010, the aquatic side of the tent has been closed to the public to prepare for the facility enhancement project.

We have been asked why the steam room is no longer available.  The steam room is closed for three reasons:

1. As of January 1, 2010 there are no lifeguards scheduled in the competition pool area as it is now considered a construction zone.

2. Power to the steam room is being cut and redirected to accommodate the roof work.

3. We couldn't guarantee consistent and regulated heating, ie. the steam room would either be too hot or too cold.

Thank you for your understanding as we undergo this process.

It's really happening!  As of January 1, 2010 the aquatic portion of the tent will be closing in preparation for the facility enhancement project.  This means that the 50m competition pool, teach pool, dive tank, 6-person whirlpool and steam room will not be available in 2010.  For safety reasons, access onto the pooldeck from the Family Caregiver and Executive Locker Rooms will also be closed.

To access the 50m training pool and 20-person hot tub, please use the walkway that has been constructed for your safety.

The construction crew will be installing the tarp to separate the aquatic side from the dryland side of the tent.

The North Entrance will be closed at 7pm on Saturday, January 2, 2010 and will re-open to the public the next day.  Please use the South Entrance after 7pm.

Customers will be asked to enter the activity concourse via the back gate at the main Customer Service Desk.

Thank you for your understanding as we prepare for our exciting renovation!

Please note the upcoming holiday hours and early closures for the season:


CHRISTMAS EVE – Thursday, December 24 – 5:00am to 5:00pm
CHRISTMAS DAY – Friday, December 25 – Closed for statutory holiday
BOXING DAY – Saturday, December 26 – 7:00am to 10:00pm (Stat holiday hours)
NEW YEAR'S EVE – Thursday, December 31 – 5:00am to 5:00pm
NEW YEAR'S DAY – Friday, January 1 – 7:00am to 10:00pm (Stat holiday hours)

You will start seeing signs of our 2010 construction around the building, (even though it's still technically 2009). Now, this is just common sense, but we thought we'd remind everyone that if you see barricades or yellow caution tape around Talisman Centre, please stay out of that area for your own safety. Walk around, not through! Thanks!!

On Wednesday, November 11th, (Remembrance Day), holiday hours will be in effect and Talisman Centre's hours will be 7:00a.m. to 10:00p.m. 

The Cascade Slingshot Speed Meet will be taking place this weekend at Talisman Centre, and our members who so choose are welcome to take advantage of our Partner Exchange Program on those days: Saturday, November 7th, and Sunday, November 8th.

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What is the Partner Exchange Program?
Parking, locker room space, public gym and pool space will be at a premium during some events. Members are encouraged to take advantage of the Partner Exchange Program when in effect.

The Partner Exchange Program is for MEMBERS ONLY.
As a value added to your experience as a member, don't forget to pick up your pass during designated Partner Exchange Program times to workout at the following facilities:

• CARDEL PLACE
• YMCA OF CALGARY
• VILLAGE SQUARE LEISURE CENTRE

Please be aware of the following pool closures for this weekend:

Friday – training pool @ 10:00 pm
Saturday – training pool @ 4:00pm; all of aquatics @ 9:00pm

From Thursday, October 1st to Monday, October 12th, Gyms 4 and 5 will be closed. During this time, Gyms 1, 2 and 3 will be closed to the public during the week from 4pm to 11pm. (On weekends, public space in gyms 1, 2 and 3 will be limited to just one of the three gyms.)

Gyms 4 and 5 are getting holes drilled for volleyball, and having new lines painted to facilitate both volleyball and field hockey. (Gyms 4 and 5 are located in the Dr. Neville Lindsay Sport Wellness Building at Talisman Centre, are the two gyms that will remain open during the 2010 Facility Enhancement project, when Talisman Centre gets a new roof, among other upgrades and enhancements.)

Talisman Centre will be open on Labour Day (Sept. 7th), under "holiday hours", which are 7:00AM to 10:00PM. There will be no registered classes this day, although Pure Cardio, Ripped, Bootcamp and Group Power WILL be running.

The dive tower platform will be closed due to some rubber matting repairs from Friday, August 28th at 7pm – Monday August 31st at 11am. We regret any inconvenience this may cause.

The Teach Pool will be closed today (August 13th) and tomorrow (Friday, August 14th) for maintenance. We regret any inconvenience this may cause.

On Monday, August 3rd, Talisman Centre will be open from 7:00AM to 10:00PM, and there will be no registered classes that day. Ripped, Step, Group Power, and Yoga with Mike will be running, so check our drop-in schedule for times.

Thursday, July 23 10:30am Deep Water Fit has been canceled.

Thursday night Power Cycle class will NOT be running until further notice.  We apologize for any inconvenience.

The City of Calgary has issued a high flow advisory for the Elbow River. People are also being warned to stay away from the banks of the river because the soil is at risk of eroding. This may be of concern to those Talisman Centre customers who like to run outside along the river. Please be careful! (The advisory impacts only the Elbow River, not the Bow River.)

On Wednesday, July 15th, our internal computer system will be down while it is upgraded. This means that on Wednesday, we will be unable to process credit card or debit card transactions. We will be accepting cash only during this time. In addition, we will be unable to process online registrations. We regret any inconvenience, and anticipate that things will be back up and running (and better than ever) on Thursday, July 16th.

Talisman Centre will be retrofitting the training pool bulkhead in August, and this will require the temporary closure of the pool. We anticipate the pool will be closed from Wednesday, August 5th to Friday, August 28th. The 20-person hot-tub will also be closed for a portion of time during this period. We regret any inconvenience this may cause, but trust that the new bulkhead will make Talisman Centre an even better place to swim!

For your information, here is the breakdown of the retrofit plan:

• August 5th to 10th: Our Operations team will be emptying the water from the pool and preparing the bulkhead for retrofitting.
  
• August 10th to 23rd: The retrofitting will take place, and meanwhile the 20-person hot-tub will be drained, and the tiles regrouted.
• August 23rd to 28th: The Operations team will refill the training pool with water, and make sure it is safe to reopen to the public.
  

Saturday, July 18th (Calgary Tritons Summer Swim Meet)
Saturday, August 8th to Sunday August 9th (Region E Summer Swim Meet)

Pick up your pass at the Customer Service Desk. (See below for participating facilities)

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What is the Partner Exchange Program?
Parking, locker room space, public gym and pool space will be at a premium during some events. Members are encouraged to take advantage of the Partner Exchange Program when in effect.

The Partner Exchange Program is for MEMBERS ONLY.
As a value added to your experience as a member, don't forget to pick up your pass during designated Partner Exchange Program times to workout at the following facilities:

• CARDEL PLACE
• SOUTHLAND LEISURE CENTRE
• YMCA OF CALGARY
• VILLAGE SQUARE LEISURE CENTRE
• FITNESS ON FIFTH (YWCA)

On Wednesday, July 1st (Canada Day), Talisman Centre will be open from 7:00AM to 10:00PM, and there will be no registered classes that day. Happy Canada Day!

The following changes will be in effect for Talisman Centre Childcare as of July 1st 2009:

Mon/Wed evenings and Sundays will not be available for the months of July and August. All other hours of operation will be observed as per the rest of the calendar year. All of these three time slots will be resumed again starting the week of Sept 1st, 2009.

Thank you for choosing the Talisman Centre for the care of your child(ren)!

Friday, June 5th to Sunday, June 7th
Friday, June 12th to Sunday, June 14th
Saturday, June 27th to Tuesday, June 30th

Pick up your pass at the Customer Service Desk to workout at Cardel Place, Southland Leisure Centre or the YMCA of Calgary.

---

What is the Partner Exchange Program?
Parking, locker room space, public gym and pool space will be at a premium during some events. Members are encouraged to take advantage of the Partner Exchange Program when in effect.

The Partner Exchange Program is for MEMBERS ONLY.
As a value added to your experience as a member, don't forget to pick up your pass during designated Partner Exchange Program times to workout at the following facilities:

• CARDEL PLACE
• SOUTHLAND LEISURE CENTRE
• YMCA OF CALGARY

In the past, Talisman Centre has operated Stanley Park Pool during the summer months. Stanley Park Pool will be open this year, but Talisman Centre will not be managing it. Instead, it is being operated by the Calgary Outdoor Swimming Pool Association (COSPA). Stanley Park Pool is one of Calgary's great outdoor pools, and you should check it out this summer!

Talisman Centre will be retrofitting the training pool bulkhead in August, and this will require the temporary closure of the pool. We anticipate the pool will be closed from Wednesday, August 5th to Friday, August 28th. The 20-person hot-tub will also be closed for a portion of time during this period. We regret any inconvenience this may cause, but trust that the new bulkhead will make Talisman Centre an even better place to swim!

For your information, here is the breakdown of the retrofit plan:

• August 5th to 10th: Our Operations team will be emptying the water from the pool and preparing the bulkhead for retrofitting.
  
• August 10th to 23rd: The retrofitting will take place, and meanwhile the 20-person hot-tub will be drained, and the tiles regrouted.
• August 23rd to 28th: The Operations team will refill the training pool with water, and make sure it is safe to reopen to the public.