Proposed shorter pool in Vancouver Aquatic Centre replacement upsets swimming community

The crumbling Vancouver Aquatic Centre is slated for replacement, but the new pool could be only half the size of the existing one.

The 1970s-era Vancouver Aquatic Centre has been literally falling apart in recent years, and in 2022 voters approved a $103-million replacement project.

“We are aware that it is reaching the end of its life and it does require an upgrade and it’s not seismically sound, but we would like to see the city commit to another 50-metre facility,” Canadian Dolphin Swim Club president Jeannie Lo told CTV News on Wednesday.

But Vancouver Park Board staff are now recommending the new aquatic centre have a pool half the length of the current 50-metre span.

They’re citing various issues. They point to the size of the site, deck space and tank requirements and financial constraints. There are also geotechnical concerns.

“This site is right by the water,” said park board Chair Laura Christensen on Wednesday. “It’s very constrained. You’ve got the Burrard Bridge on one side. You’ve got the waterfront. Geotechnically, it’s challenging to find more space on that site.”

Money from beyond the park board could potentially allow for the inclusion of a 50-metre pool in the new facility, but it wouldn’t be cheap.

“If we could somehow magically raise the extra – I’m estimating – $35-million through the city, then I would be willing to do that,” park board Commissioner Tom Digby told CTV News on Wednesday, saying he was considering putting forward an amendment that would approve the existing proposal but leave the door open to build a 50-metre pool if more funding becomes available through the city or another party.

The aquatic centre’s pool is the only 50-metre competitive pool in Vancouver. It has been an ideal training site for lifeguards and those with an eye on competitive swimming, as well as group lessons.

With waiting lists for many swimming programs in the city and existing pools strained, the timing couldn’t be worse according to those who operate within the facilities.

“We’ve had kids go through the COVID shutdowns,” said Pacific Life Saving Club director Philip Skinder Wednesday.

“They haven’t been taking swim lessons. The pools were closed, and now with this extra burden on the remaining pools in the city, that cohort of children – they’re going to be the lost generation.”

Skinder added he fears fewer children are learning to swim due to the waitlist situation – and worries about what could potentially happen.

Then there are concerns over the level of displacement for those who use the aquatic centre, given that the new facility is slated to be smaller.

“We have over 270 age-group swimmers and 85 masters swimmers,” Lo said. “There is no other pool in Vancouver that can accommodate us in one go … and VAC has been a home for my kids and many other swimmers for many, many years and it is their second home, it is their second family.”

Even if the facility goes ahead without a 50-metre pool, Christensen insists the new centre is needed and will be a big upgrade for the community.

“If you look at some of the designs and the renderings of the new facility, it’s beautiful,” Christensen said. “It’s got windows and light, which the current facility is really lacking in. If you go to Hillcrest on a busy weekend, you’ll see that the leisure pool and the hot tub are completely packed.”

“There’s a really, really high demand in the city for those kinds of facilities and this new proposed aquatic centre includes a huge hot tub that I know will look out over onto the water, and it’s going to be a real highlight of the new facility,” she added.

The proposal goes to a vote at Monday’s park board meeting, with local swim groups planning to voice their opposition.