Vancouver Park Board Chooses 25-Metre Pool for Aquatic Centre Over Olympic-Length Option

After weeks of heated debate and public outcry, the Vancouver Park Board has voted to proceed with a $170-million renovation of the aging Vancouver Aquatic Centre — opting for a 25-metre pool instead of a 50-metre Olympic-length facility favored by local swim clubs.

The decision came Monday night, capping off a month-long saga that saw more than 70 speakers advocate for a full-length pool to preserve competitive swimming opportunities in the city.

However, park board staff concluded in a report last week that a 50-metre pool was not feasible within the existing building footprint or budget. Expanding the facility to accommodate it would require encroaching into Sunset Beach Park, triggering complex negotiations with the provincial government and host First Nations, as well as extensive assessments on archaeological sensitivity, geology, sea-level rise, and more.

“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 noted.

The board ultimately voted in favour of the staff’s original plan: a 25-metre lap pool, dive platforms, a leisure pool, and upgraded accessibility features. Construction is expected to begin by the end of 2026 and finish in 2029.

Clubs disappointed, staff cite practicality

While the overwhelming majority of speakers at Monday’s meeting opposed the 25-metre option, park board general manager Steve Jackson said the decision reflects a compromise between competitive needs and feasibility.

“While we fully recognize the impact on our existing swimming community from the exclusion of the 50-metre pool, this recommendation looks to best balance against the risk of service losses by limiting our downtime only to the project construction schedule,” said Jackson.

An amendment proposed by commissioner Brennan Bastyovanszky to further explore expanding the facility’s footprint — and potentially make room for a 50-metre pool — was defeated.

Structural urgency, financial limits

The aquatic centre, located near Sunset Beach in the West End, was built in 1974 and is now considered to be at the end of its functional lifespan. It made headlines in 2022 when part of its façade collapsed.

In a 2022 municipal plebiscite, Vancouver voters approved the renewal of the aquatic centre, which required construction to begin by the end of 2026. That approval was part of a $103-million funding commitment, though the project now carries a $170-million price tag.

Green park board commissioner Tom Digby said the current usage rate at the aquatic centre is only around 30 per cent — in part, he argued, because the existing 50-metre competitive format limits how many users can access the pool at once.

“It allows a small density of very active users,” Digby said. “Other city pools are at much higher usage.”

More 50-metre swim time elsewhere

To offset the loss of a 50-metre pool at the downtown aquatic centre, staff say they will increase the time other city facilities — like Hillcrest Pool — operate in long-course (50m) configurations.

They warned that rejecting the renovation plan altogether would have triggered a lengthy reset: a new plebiscite, new design work, and a scramble for funding in the 2027–2030 capital plan.

With the board’s decision now finalized, construction is expected to begin within the next two years — although for many in the swim community, the vote represents a missed opportunity to maintain Vancouver’s competitive edge in aquatic sport.