Council approves extra $22.5M to move forward with Vancouver Aquatic Centre reno, 25-metre pool

2 week_ago 9

British Columbia

Vancouver metropolis assembly has approved the parkland board's petition for $22.5 cardinal much to renovate the Vancouver Aquatic Centre, which volition diagnostic a 25-metre excavation — fractional the size of the existing pool.

1 talker said the parkland committee has 'lost the trust' of the swimming community

CBC News

· Posted: Jun 19, 2025 3:12 PM EDT | Last Updated: June 19

Vancouver metropolis councillors person voted to o.k. the parkland board's petition for an further $22.5 cardinal successful backing to renovate the Vancouver Aquatic Centre, bringing the terms tag for the arguable task to $175 million.

The determination came Wednesday nighttime aft respective speakers, including aggregate children, shared their absorption to replacing the existing 50-metre, Olympic-sized excavation with a caller 25-metre one, citing impacts to competitory swim training.

After considering the imaginable impacts of a hold and the building's seismic safety, councillors voted 10-2 successful favour of approving the funding. Coun. Peter Meiszner was absent, and Coun. Peter Fry abstained from voting due to a struggle of interest.

"We're kinda stuck betwixt a stone and a hard spot close now," said Coun. Rebecca Bligh aft the vote.

The aging Vancouver Aquatic Centre made headlines in March 2022 aft a ample portion of the building's facade fell off.

An aerial changeable of a brown-roofed building, with water and skyscrapers successful the background.

The centre has served arsenic a premier sporting venue in Vancouver's densely populated West End since it opened in 1974, drawing swimmers, synchronized swimming teams, h2o polo players and divers for grooming and competitions.

Recently, however, the excavation has been described arsenic being astatine "the extremity of its functional lifespan."

A bulk of voters successful the 2022 municipal predetermination supported the aquatic centre's renewal, but the archetypal notation of a smaller 25-metre excavation didn't travel until February of this twelvemonth — revealed successful the plan connection brought guardant by metropolis unit — sparking outcry from the swimming community.

Park committee unit said it wasn't feasible to present a 50-metre excavation wrong the existing gathering footprint portion besides gathering manufacture standards for attraction and accessibility.

A bluish people drafting of an aquatic centre design.

The Vancouver Park Board approved the design the pursuing month, subject to metropolis assembly agreeing to an additional $22.5 million for the task — a petition swimming advocates asked metropolis assembly to reject, earlier this week.

During the Wednesday meeting, 1 talker said the parkland committee has "lost the spot and assurance of the radical of Vancouver and particularly the swimming community."

"No 1 voted for a lazy stream and a 1,300-square-foot blistery tub," said nonmigratory Scott Lear.

"Vancouver conscionable needs a 50-metre pool, it doesn't request a fancy designed building. It needs thing functional first, and signifier second," helium said.

WATCH | Dozens talk retired against aquatic centre proposal:

Dozens amusement up to Vancouver Park Board gathering connected arguable aquatic centre

Dozens of radical lined up to talk astatine Monday night’s Vancouver Park Board gathering implicit a arguable caller aquatic centre. The projected redesign would regenerate a 50-metre excavation with 1 fractional that size. As Meera Bains reports, aquatics clubs and different users are upset with the program and nonaccomplishment of grooming space.

One 10-year-old, Georgia Neill, who trains with the Canadian Dolphin Swim Club astatine the aquatic centre, appealed to councillors to "please deliberation of different ways to support our 50-metre pool, not for maine oregon my teammates, but for each the radical who signed the petition to accidental this is not what we privation successful Vancouver."

Another young swimmer, Geoffrey Mu, said relocating the nine and grooming to the Hillcrest Aquatic Centre, arsenic parkland committee unit person recommended, would marque it hard to be practice, oregon unit different members to see joining different swim club.

"If you enactment VAC's program to alteration our 50-metre pool, you'll beryllium taking distant the aboriginal of galore young swimmers including me," said the 12-year-old.

WATCH | 50-metre excavation not feasible, unit study says:

City unit accidental 50-metre excavation astatine Vancouver Aquatic Centre intolerable without much money

In the latest twist to the saga of the Vancouver Aquatic Centre renovation, parkland committee unit released a last study that went backmost to the 25-metre excavation that was initially proposed. While parkland committee commissioners had directed unit to effort to see a 50-metre excavation successful the renovation, Green commissioner Tom Digby says that it would beryllium intolerable without astatine slightest $50 cardinal successful funds that the metropolis has not provided.

Addressing the speakers aft the vote, Bligh said she's not successful favour of doing distant with a 50-metre pool, but that she understands the request to upgrade the aquatic centre.

She thanked speakers for their advocacy and acknowledged their concerns.

"This is an intolerable decision for maine connected the topic.... We person to get to a amended solution here," Bligh said.

"I'm not definite we're going to find it today, but I'm perfectly successful your country for what you shared and what you brought to the speech today."

The Vancouver Aquatic Centre is scheduled to adjacent for the renovations in 2026 and reopen sometime successful 2029.

With files from Karin Larsen, Shaurya Kshatri and Akshay Kulkarni

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