Vancouver Aquatic Centre to close June 28 before demolition

A rendering of the new Vancouver Aquatic Centre proposed to replace the current facility on Beach Avenue in Vancouver's West End. Photo by Acton Ostry Architects Inc. and /City of Vancouver

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A date has been set for the permanent closure of the Vancouver Aquatic Centre and its 50-metre, Olympic-sized pool.

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The City of Vancouver and the park board said the 52-year-old facility’s last day of operation will be June 28 to allow crews to start preparing the site for demolition of the structure.

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Construction is expected to start late this year to build a new $175 million facility, which will have a 25-metre lap pool, a leisure pool, a hot pool and sauna, a diving tank, an expanded fitness room and a multipurpose room for community events.

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The city says it is working with users to find other swim venues while the facility is closed.

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“Park board staff are reviewing capacity across the full aquatic system to help maintain continuity of programs and services for public-users and swim groups,” it said. “Staff will continue working closely with the community to support the transition.”

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Plans to replace the aging facility have sparked significant debate and a court challenge after the park board swapped plans for a long-course pool to a 25-metre pool with increased leisure space instead, due to financial and site constraints.

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Some swimmers and clubs have pushed back against the loss of the 50-metre pool, which is preferred by competitive athletes. Without the aquatic centre’s large pool, the city has only two other Olympic-sized pools, one at the Hillcrest Aquatic Centre and the other at UBC.

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Jon Girard of the group Protecting Our Vancouver Aquatic Centre Society had said opting for a 25-metre pool removes any chance the facility can host national- or provincial-level competitions.

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The group is awaiting its day in court after filing a judicial review arguing that Vancouver residents voted in a 2022 plebiscite to borrow funds to renew the facility’s 50-metre pool, not replace it with a smaller pool. It is seeking an order to quash the park board’s approval of the current design and to prevent plebiscite-authorized funds from being used on the project.

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The judicial review is scheduled for June 19.

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