THE VANCOUVER AQUATIC CENTRE
Eyesore or Beloved Amenity, Its Days Are Numbered

by John Streit

What happened in New Westminster back in November was a good wake-up call for all municipalities about the risks of keeping key public infrastructure well past its lifespan. The city was forced to immediately decommission the 1973 Canada Games Pool after a leak was found in the main pool tank.

The fatal blow for the aging, but extremely popular (slightly resembles an aircraft hangar) facility came as repairs were being made following a rainstorm-caused flood in the mechanical room two months earlier. The sudden closure was a shock to residents and politicians who were counting on the pool to hold out at least another year. Programs were cancelled while gym and pool users were forced to find another place to swim and work out during the pandemic.

A replacement pool is being constructed next door and the Canada Games Pool wasn’t slated for closure until August 2023. Outgoing New Westminster Mayor Jonathan Cote said at the time “while we knew this facility would close in the near future, these certainly aren’t the circumstances in which we wanted to say goodbye. Canada Games Pool is a fixture in our city and has served our community and region for almost 50 years.”

The City of New Westminster is allowing residents a final chance to “say goodbye” to the defunct pool (tanks are empty) during registration-only 15-minute tours on Saturday, February 12.

The Vancouver Park Board (PB) has no doubt been actively following the situation in New West because it has its own fleet of aging public indoor pools including Britannia, Lord Byng, Kerrisdale, Templeton and the Vancouver Aquatic Centre (VAC). In fact, a city-wide 25-year ‘VanSplash Aquatics Strategy’ touts the need for a raft of new indoor and outdoor pools plus spray parks across the city to catch up with growing populations and replace old facilities.

The West End only has one indoor community pool and that’s the Vancouver Aquatic Centre at Sunset Beach. At 48 years old, it has almost reached the end of its functional lifespan and does not meet current seismic requirements because of its unique structure and precast wall panels. Other elements beyond lifespan cited by the PB are structural wood roof framing, exterior stucco on metal studs, plumbing fixtures, corrugated metal deck roof, drywall on wood or metal studs, ceramic tile finishes and built-up roof coverings, not to mention all the interior and exterior doors and windows. The main pool tank has also been experiencing continued problems since a review in 2001. There have been some mechanical system improvements to the building heat recovery, new boilers and a new heat exchanger.

The rather uninviting entrance to the Vancouver Aquatic Centre. (*Ewan Streit Photo)*

Not everyone loves the architecture (“a monstrous carbuncle”, I read somewhere) but the geometrically shaped aquatic centre was considered state-of-the-art when built and winner of the 1975 “Design Excellence” pool award from the National Swimming Pool Institute in the “international nonresidential” category. It was designed by Duncan McNab and Partners, architects. I know this because the gold medal remains framed on the wall of the upper foyer.

In VanSplash documents, the VAC is to be eventually replaced with a new large scale indoor pool with outdoor aquatic amenities to take advantage of the great views of the Sunset Beach setting. Think of doing laps under the sun while watching the Granville Island ferries skirt across the water a few metres away. Currently, your only view outside is unfortunately through the distant rooftop skylights while you’re working on your backstroke.

Park Board studies show our aquatic centre has had no significant reinvestment (no new waterslide or hot tub, for example) and is operating at the lowest proportion of its capacity – losing around 80,000 swims a year over seven years when combined with the other oldest pools. On some days, VAC does appear largely empty mainly because it is, operating at only 25 percent capacity on average, and is thus the least efficient pool in Vancouver. The oldest city pools only make up 34 percent of all visits to indoor pools in Vancouver. Adding to the drop in swimmers at VAC in recent years has been the opening of the “destination” Hillcrest Pool at Riley Park and the introduction of permit parking in the West End, according to the Park Board.

Add to those declining numbers the effect of COVID-19 restrictions, according to Peter Fox, manager of Recreation-Citywide Services with the Park Board. “The pandemic has impacted attendance as we were restricted under the PHO to 50 percent capacity. Through establishing individual sessions and pre-registration, we were able to increase the overall attendance significantly. With this said, all Vancouver pools have been impacted by lower staff numbers and a reduction in returning lifeguards,” Fox says.

In 2019, a replacement pool was projected to cost $95-million dollars (not including project costs). However, the Park Board now says “industry trends show that a facility at this scale will likely cost more.”

According to VanSplash, “planning and design of VAC will be integrated with the West End Waterfront Masterplan currently underway. This facility will be multipurpose, serving the needs of a wide variety of user groups. During the detailed planning process, consultation with VAC user groups and other stakeholders will occur. Community consultation will include engagement with the West End community, VAC user groups and community centre associations, and other community stakeholders.”

So what would a future Vancouver Aquatic Centre look like inside? When the VanSplash advisory board reached out to residents and user groups about design considerations for all new “neighborhood” pools, some interesting ideas came up. That includes opportunities for socializing and community building in meaningful yet informal aquatic spaces, understanding competitive swimming and diving needs (deck space, seating, viewing, acoustics, timing and judging) and that each pool is unique and “must be carefully situated in both their social and urban contexts.”

Facilities in desperate need of upgrading. (*Ewan Streit Photo)*

Abundant fresh air and natural light are mentioned, plus the ability to “delight and surprise pool users.” Local examples of the latter that came to my mind are the climbing wall at Killarney Pool, “floating water walk” at Delta Pool, Tarzan rope swings at Canada Games Pool (RIP) and the one-of-kind “rainstorm effect” for children and adults at Eileen Daily Pool in Burnaby.

It is unclear if competition use would return to a new VAC. Home to diving, synchro, water polo and elite aquatic-based training - that may all shift to a new competition pool at Connaught Park in Kitsilano. Leila Todd is with Planning and Park Development at the Park Board and says “the programming of the pool is undetermined at this point. Additional engagement with the community and aquatic stakeholders is needed to define future facility programming further.”

Of course, all new facility designs must be fully accessible and VanSplash distinctly identifies that requirement in the official document. It says “Universal Access Aquatic facilities must accommodate the widest cross-section of the community, reducing barriers - whether physical, cultural or social. Gradual or ‘zero-entry’ sloped access for all types of tanks will be critical in reducing barriers.”

So when can West Enders expect to be swimming in a brand-new indoor/outdoor Vancouver Aquatic Centre? Don’t pack your goggles, trunks and a quarter for the locker just yet. The Park Board says “staff will be asking for Planning and Design funds for this upcoming capital plan (2023-2026) pending Park Board and Vancouver City Council approval.”

However, it is estimated that a replacement pool’s planning, design, and construction will take about two capital plans, so around 2029.

In the meantime, you’d better make sure to use the “historic” and “iconic” swimming pool we have now. You saw what happened in New Westminster, where almost 50 years suddenly went down the drain.

WE ASKED YOU - AND YOU SAID …

On Facebook, TWEJ asked what YOU wanted to see in a new Vancouver Aquatic Centre and again, you surfaced with some great answers. Let’s take a quick dip into your feedback:

Bert Lum: It's called Sunset Beach but u can't see it inside, windows please!

Yvonne Kwok: Climbing wall over pool area/diving tank. Larger family change room. Hot tub on pool deck. Accessible entry to the pool with gradual grade, natural light, fun for kids of all ages to play in the water, like at Hillcrest. Hillcrest pool is great in all aspects.

Colleen Tsoukalas: We definitely need art by locals and kids. You want that imaginative sense of sun and fun. Would have to incorporate the garden, too. Some fabulous treasures there, for sure. This is a much-used community centre and deserves much more light-filled spaces, views and no brown, please. Maybe some connected outdoor spaces and definitely something for snacks. How about a regular social media column about activities: What the Pool has to Say?

Chris Catalano: The lanes are brutally confining and narrow. I am a really good open water swimmer who loves to swim for conditioning and peace of mind and I get in that pool and the whole vibe is destroyed by it feeling like a giant time trial competition.

Priscilla Clark: It will be great to have a pool that is in a seismically sound structure. A pool that has an indoor as well as outdoor option would be wonderful

Markku Vuorensivu: If you want it to be more economically viable, add some stores with good views of the waterfront and for cafés to rent. If you want to keep those businesses in business, and affordable, you need to make sure the space rentals aren't absurdly high.

Loni Pierce: Definitely windows! Keep the trees in the area.

Shannon Foster: Windows, of course! Plus a well-lit bicycle parking area.

Jeff Taylor: Easily the ugliest building in all of Canada. With so many square metres of exterior walls, it would be incredibly easy to do something very creative, artist, and beautiful to the look and feel of the Vancouver Aquatic Centre

Patricia Mclellan: More windows and natural light. Hey, maybe views of the ocean. More light and less cave-like.

Thomas Lorenz: First let them build a proper seawall (not just a type of 900 AD stonewall without reinforcement that gets damaged with every storm) and then we see if they are capable of doing a project of this scale.

Ruth Ritchey: Open sky lighting and window walls to see outside! Gorgeous location to appreciate the outdoors while inside!

Nancy Conlin: I would like an Aquafit area where the depth of water is relatively the same throughout the class.

Kerry Moore: Lots of natural light inside. Less of the “bunker” look.

Anfisa Tishkina: I think the pool is suffering from the '50 year curse' - where buildings that are about 50 years old are considered ugly and outdated, before they cross over to a culturally appreciated heritage status. Would be great to have structural upgrades.

Leslie Todd: Views of the ocean, more windows & light.

Lori Cody: Aquafit classes, I go to West Van because there is none in Vancouver that I could find.

Darren Schemmer: I miss when it was a saltwater pool. Keep the Olympic size length.

Peter Hickman: It’s a very dark oppressive space. A pool that opens to outdoors in the summer. More glass facing False Creek.

Barb Sherman: It's hideous right now. Much more glass and a roof that opens in the summer please!

Philip Eagle White: Skateboard park outside it!

Brent Hrubizna: Warm/ hot pool for us elderly arthritic patrons!

Victoria Joss: Changing rooms with benches you can actually sit on; they’re so narrow a bag falls off. An elevator for disabled that doesn’t require a 20 minute wait for staff to activate or the pool at a level not requiring the killer stairs.

Bob Owens: Leave the pool alone. Update, do not remove.

For more information about VanSplash, Click here.

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