The reopening of Seven Oaks Pool in Winnipeg’s Old Kildonan area is delayed after a new leak was recently discovered. In a Facebook post on Friday, Coun. Greg McFarlane, who represents the Old Kildonan ward, announced that the pool won’t reopen until April 2027. McFarlane explained the extended closure is because a leak in the newly installed pool membrane was discovered during recent testing. He said this means a replacement membrane must be ordered and installed, which takes several weeks. Following installation, an additional month is required for testing to ensure the pool is functioning properly. The city expects the pool will open in April—subject to the arrival of the replacement membrane and successful testing. In the meantime, McFarlane said Winnipeg is working to minimize any disruptions by adding early-morning swim opportunities and lessons at Sergeant Tommy Prince Place. The city is also reaching out to impacted stakeholders, including the Seven Oaks School Division and swimming groups. Further information on swimming lessons will be available on the City of Winnipeg’s website and forthcoming Winter Swim Guide. CTV News previously reported the initial closure of Seven Oaks Pool in October 2025. At the time, the city said the pool’s main tank would close on Dec. 14, 2025, for about 12 to 14 months to undergo a major refresh, including concrete and structural repairs, waterproofing and tile replacement. The extended closure comes at a time when the St. James Civic Centre is closed and right before the planned closure of Pan Am Pool in 2027 for major renovations. “When we announced the Pan Am upgrades and planned closure, we expected that the St. James Civic Centre and Seven Oaks pools would reopen before Pan Am closed,” a city spokesperson said. “Unfortunately, opening timelines have changed.” The spokesperson said due to construction delays, the pool and weight room at the St. James Civic Centre are now expected to open in January 2027, with the rest of the facility set to open in the spring. “We are working on scheduling as much programming as possible for the pool when it is cleared to open,” the spokesperson said, adding they recognize that the extended closures of the pools are not ideal. “We will continue to work with user groups to identify options to minimize the disruption caused by the delay in reopening.”
