Crews working to fix flooded Talisman Centre

Officials say it could bea long time before the Talisman Centre, which was flooded by the Elbow River last month, can reopen.

The basement of the sports complex at 2225 Macleod Trail filled with water, damaging much of the mechanical equipment.

Crews have been working nonstop to fix the damage, said Talisman Centre CEO Jeff Booke.

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The timing is tough with the facility having just undergone a $45-million renovation two years ago, he said.

"It's very difficult. We've had great momentum coming out of construction," he said.

Booke said the non-aquatic sections of the centre could be open by next week.

"Our pools are going to take a little bit longer because as you can imagine the systems that run them are more complicated."

Summer camps, athlete training impacted

The closure has impacted everything from athlete training to summer camps.

Several small businesses also operate at the facility.

The YMCA and the Calgary Jewish Centre have opened their doors to people who hold memberships at the Talisman Centre.

Olympic swimmer Joel Greenshields, who usually trains at Talisman, is using the pool at the University of Calgary.

"We're pretty much there every day of the week, and usually twice a day," he said.

Set to leave on Monday for the world championships in Spain, Greenshields said he can't afford to take a break.