A local coal mine has stepped up to bring extra summer fun to the Dr. Duncan Murray Recreation Centre in Hinton, Alberta. Vista Mine recently sponsored the aquatics program, paying for a new basketball hoop and a collection of giant rubber ducks for swimmers to enjoy.
The Town of Hinton announced the additions on June 30, 2026, just in time for summer break. Families looking for a way to stay active and cool off will now find more to do at the pool without any cost to the town.
The Dr. Duncan Murray Recreation Centre has an indoor six-lane, 25-metre main pool, a shallow play pool, a hot tub, a steam room, and a wheelchair lift. The new basketball hoop sits in the water, giving kids and adults a chance to shoot hoops in the pool. Meanwhile, the giant rubber ducks are a simple but popular extra for swimmers of all ages.
Vista Mine is a major employer in Hinton, with about 450 workers producing thermal coal at a site roughly 10 kilometres east of town. The mine recently received federal approval to expand, which would make it the largest operation of its kind in North America.
The recreation centre itself is an older building, opened in 1982, and a recent assessment rated 95 percent of the facility in fair to very poor condition. The town has put aside $1.45 million per year for modernization, with options ranging from $109 million to $217 million up for discussion. In a community vote last October, the most popular choice was to build an entirely new centre.
With the outdoor summer season underway, the new pool features give one more reason to visit. “These additions come at the perfect time,” the announcement noted, with families and youth looking for somewhere to cool down during the break. The sponsorship means residents get these simple upgrades without dipping into public funds earmarked for bigger facility needs.
