The Whitehorse Glacier Bears were forced to do dryland training at Rotary Peace Park yesterday after a weekend fire closed the Canada Games Centre.

The majority of the 20 swimmers are heading to the Western Canada Games in Kamloops, B.C., in August, while four – Kirsten Berube, Haley Braga, Taylor Campbell and Erin McArthur – headed to Vancouver today to train for a week before the B.C. AAA Long Course Championships in Victoria from July 7-10.

Incoming Glacier Bears coach, Stephanie Dixon who will be replacing Marek Poplawski in August, said news of the fire shocked the swimming community.

"It's really hard to imagine that it happened at all. It's just really sad. A lot of people work out at that centre. For the swim team, it is our home away from home – we are there every single day, sometimes twice – and so to not have that really displaces us.”

On Monday the Glacier Bears took to Long Lake for training.

The four swimmers heading to provincials got a break by being able to train in Vancouver for a week before heading to Victoria.

Dixon said training in a 50-metre pool in Vancouver for a week will benefit the group because the provincials will be held in a pool of the same distance.

"A lot of the championship meets are 50-metre pools, and it's a really big difference. Fitness accounts for so much more in a 50-metre pool.

"We'll have the opportunity to train and prepare in an Olympic-size pool, which is what they'll compete in (for provincials) – which is awesome.”

Where the rest of the Glacier Bears heading to Kamloops in August will train in the interim remains unknown.

The swim club is looking into securing pool times in Carmacks, Dawson City, Haines Junction or even Haines Alaska, Dixon said.

"Our aim, while we're waiting to figure out what facilities we have access to, is to keep them fit, keep them together, keep the team atmosphere together; and I think the team aspect is almost more important than their fitness at this point. We're not going to lose fitness over a few days, but their commitment level needs to stay the same.”

The CGC fire began around 7:40 p.m. on Friday in the ATCO arena when a stack of foam and plastic pads used for speedskating were ignited, closing the centre indefinitely.

Two minors were arrested in connection with the fire on Saturday and charged with arson, and will appear in youth court at a later date.

Dixon said the Glacier Bears were told the pool should be open after the long weeknd.

"But that could mean Monday, that could mean a month from now, we're not exactly sure. We know that they are trying to get it up and running as quickly as possible, but we need to have a plan B in place in case it doesn't open on Monday.”

Added Dixon: "Swimming is a sport where we're training six days a week, so to not have a facility to train in has really put some difficult challenges in front of us. But

it's been amazing how well the staff of the Glacier Bears Western Canada Games team as well as the parents have come together to make this workable and make sure the athletes have what they need to prepare for these meets.”