By James Sutherland on SwimSwam
The City of Vancouver has proposed a plan to reduce the size of the Vancouver Aquatic Center (VAC) and replace its 50-meter pool with one that’s 25 meters.
The Vancouver Park Board says that the 50-year-old pool has reached “the end of its functional lifespan.” Built in 1974, the facility was temporarily closed last year after a chunk of concrete fell from the ceiling.
The new facility being proposed would include a 25-meter pool along with a diving platform, a leisure pool, and other recreational amenities including a new fitness center.
Although the proposal would see the removal of the Olympic-sized pool, updated regulations have meant that the facility has not been able to host a 50-meter competition since the 1990s.
The VAC annually hosts three short course meter competitions, and the proposal mentions that future SCM meets would be enhanced with the addition of warmup and cooldown facilities from the new dive tank and leisure pool.
Read the full proposal here.The VAC 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 thn local teams that rent the pool for training.
“It would really displace a lot of our programs, and we’re not sure where we would go,” Canadian Dolphins President Jeannie Lo told CBC. “We potentially have to reduce our program significantly.”
Canadian Dolphins head coach Kelly Taitinger said: “All of a sudden they are going to cut the pool in half and close it down for three years. Basically it will destroy the club, I believe, because we train out of this pool only, 260 people. Trying to find space and time for that many people is going to be hardship.”
The city’s other 50-meter pool is located at the University of British Columbia (UBC) just over 10km away.
Canadian Olympian Hau-Li Fan spoke with CBC about how training at the VAC helped him prepare for the Olympics, having raced at the Tokyo Games in 2021 in the men’s open water 10km event.
“I would say those years I trained here really cemented my passion for the sport,” he said. “In order to race at the Olympic level, top athletes around the world train in long-course pools.”
Phil Skinder, director and head coach at the Pacific Swim Academy, spoke about how the VAC is the only 50-meter pool his club is able to get access to, and losing it would obviously be a big hindrance to training.
he said.
“If this becomes a 25-metre pool we lose about half a kilometre square of pool space … you are going to have to share less space with more people.”
He added that Vancouver already has long wait-lists for swim programs, and removing the 50-meter pool will only exacerbate the problem.
told CBC.
Brennan Bastyovanszky said he’s advocated the city for more money to help maintain the 50-meter pool, but to no avail.
“I am disappointed that we don’t get to have the pool,” he said. “I wish the city would put more money toward this project.”
Initially budgeted at $140 million, the aquatic centre redeisgn now requires an additional $30 million for $170 million total. Renovating without removing the 50-meter pool would be even more expensive.
petition to keep the 50-meter pool has been launched by swimmers and parents, with over 11,000 signatures as of Monday morning.
The Vancouver Park Board is set to vote on the proposal on Monday, Feb. 24.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: City Proposes To Rebuild Vancouver Aquatic Centre With No 50-Meter Pool
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