By James Sutherland on SwimSwam
Vancouver Park Board commissioners approved a renovation plan for the Vancouver Aquatic Center (VAC) that includes replacing one of the city’s only 50-meter pools with one that’s 25 meters on Monday.
After staff put forward the $170 million renovation proposal in February, local swim clubs were told last week that the Park Board assessed that a 50-meter pool was “not feasible”, with a final meeting and vote scheduled for March 31 where objectors could have their voice heard one last time.
On Monday, a majority of Park Board commissioners voted to approve the renovation plan that includes a 25-meter lap pool along with a diving platform, a leisure pool, and other recreational amenities including a new fitness center.
Although the Olympic-sized pool currently in place allows for increased training opportunities for clubs, it has not been able to host 50-meter competitions since the 1990s due to updated regulations. The renovation plan will lead to “improved” 25-meter competition due to the addition of warmup and cooldown facilities with the dive tank and leisure pool, the proposal says.
The VAC was built in 1974, and the facility had started showing its age, including being temporarily closed last year after a chunk of concrete fell from the ceiling.
It is located in Sunset Beach Park just off the Seawall pathway in Vancouver. The Canadian Dolphin Swim Club, which has more than 350 members, is among the local teams that rent the pool for training.
The Dolphins were among several clubs who have been vocal about their disapproval of the new proposal, with more than 70 speakers telling the Park Board that not having an Olympic-sized pool would limit competitive opportunities in February.
That plea led a majority of Park Board commissioners to ask staff to investigate if a 50-meter pool would be feasible, and they were given a month to do so before determining that it wasn’t.
In the proposal published on March 21 and ultimately passed on Monday, staff said it was “not feasible to deliver a 50-meter training pool within the existing building footprint that meets minimum aquatic industry standards while providing the recommended renewal program including dive towers, hot pool and other aquatic and recreation amenities.”
Read the full report here.There were further difficulties in expanding the VAC’s footprint due to “mixed-land tenure”.
“Due to the mixed-land tenure, pursuing an alternative option and expanding into Sunset Beach Park would require resolution with the Province and the host First Nations,” the report reads.
“Additional assessments would be required, including archeology, geology, soil stability, sea-level rise, among others.”
Commissioner Brennan Bastyovanszky‘s amendment to the proposal that would have asked staff to look into expanding the footprint was defeated at the Monday meeting.
“While we fully recognize the impact on our existing swimming community from the exclusion of the 50-meter pool, this recommendation looks to best balance against the risk of service losses by limiting our downtime only to the project construction schedule,” Park Board general manager Steve Jackson said on Monday, according to CBC.
Renovation on the VAC would begin by the end of 2026 and reopen in 2029, according to the approved plan.
Prior to the meeting, a large group of club swimmers gathered in front of the pool on Saturday to protest against the removal of the 50-meter pool.
Canadian Dolphin Swim Club and Swim BC President Jeannie Lo said she was proud of her swimmers for “supporting the longevity of the 50m pools and showing what it means to them.”
“It would be, in my opinion, hugely irresponsible to proceed with this build and in this economic climate, and at a very, very big expense, and not deliver something that the community wants,” said Lo. “We will have outgrown that facility before it even opens its doors.”
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