Contentious redevelopment of Vancouver Aquatic Centre clears key approval hurdle

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Public consultation begins on new replacement Kitsilano Outdoor Pool

Public speakers echoed many of the same concerns and criticisms expressed during the three separate public meetings held earlier this year on the matter, including a February 2025 meeting when Vancouver Park Board commissioners provided their staff with a one-month deadline to consider options for a 50-metre pool. Then in late March 2025, the commissioners ultimately sided with the 25-metre pool recommendation of Park Board staff.

Following the Park Board’s design concept approval, Vancouver City Council gave the project a green light in June 2025 by approving the funding mechanism needed to fully cover the $175-million cost. The project is largely funded by a $103-million loan approved by Vancouver voters in a plebiscite question on the October 2022 civic election ballot, with the legal stipulation that contract awards and construction must occur before the end of 2026. If this deadline is missed, it would have to go to voters again in another plebiscite question, likely in the October 2026 civic election, with the construction timeline also pushed.

In late August 2025, the development permit application was submitted.

The municipal government accelerated this project to replace the 1974-built facility due to its advanced deterioration and seismic risk — particularly after the March 2022 incident, when there was a partial collapse of the exterior wall near the main entrance.

Then in November 2025, the facility was suddenly closed for about three weeks, after a piece of concrete fell from the ceiling and into one of the pool lanes. During the closure, a safety investigation was conducted, and precautionary ceiling netting was installed.

“I’m insulted by the idea that old people need a lazy river”

With today’s application approval, this enables the municipal government to continue detailed design and technical planning work, which included conducting geotechnical borehole investigations in recent weeks to extract soil samples. This latest approval also enables the City to move toward the procurement process for a construction contractor in the new year, with the aim to begin construction by no later than the end of 2026 to meet the legal obligations related to the loan.

Today, urging the DPB to reject the application, public speakers were again highly critical of the redevelopment, arguing that it was based on misleading information, poor transparency, and a fundamentally flawed decision-making process.

The central theme was the fierce opposition to replacing the existing 50-metre competition pool with a 25-metre leisure-oriented design. Seniors, competitive swimmers, physicians, and long-time users stressed that the lap swimming space provided by a 50-metre pool is essential for fitness, training, mental health, and Vancouver’s status as a “world-class city.”

Several public speakers rejected what they saw as patronizing assumptions about aging users, with one saying, “I’m insulted by the idea that old people need a lazy river,” and another stating bluntly, “You don’t tear down your house because the roof is leaking — you fix it.” One other speaker called the concept a “Disney-fied kind of water park.”

Many asserted Park Board commissioners were not given key feasibility studies showing the existing 50-metre pool could be renovated or expanded at far lower cost, rendering past approvals “uninformed” and potentially reversible.

Speakers repeatedly alleged a breakdown of democratic process, with public consultation ignored and approved plebiscite funding misused. One speaker called the project “a complete sham,” while another said the process made Vancouver “look like a banana republic,” accusing officials of fast-tracking an unpopular decision before it could be stopped. During the plebiscite process years ago, it was noted in the City’s materials that approved loan would go towards building a 50-metre pool.

Many warned of long-term, generational harm to swim programs, youth athletes, and public health, arguing there are already plenty of 25-metre pools but no replacement for this facility. The existing Vancouver Aquatic Centre sees high use from some of the region’s largest swim clubs. This new building plan was repeatedly described as “pretty on the outside and devoid of any feasible use inside,” with one speaker calling approval of the permit “a shameful legacy for Vancouver” if allowed to proceed as designed.

However, City staff during the DPB meeting repeatedly told the public speakers that while their concerns may be warranted, these issues are out of scope for the considerations of the development permit application review process, which goes by the book and focuses on the technical design of the application at hand, and the compliance with existing zoning, bylaws, and other policies and rules. This leaves little room for subjectivity, which was fully permitted during the previous review and approval hurdles through the Park Board and City Council.

Only a few development permit applications have been rejected since the 1990s, with the most recent rejection — the controversial 570 Columbia St. (105 Keefer St.) mixed-use condominium project in Chinatown in 2017 — later being reversed by the court, which found the City’s reasons for rejection to be subjective, unreasonable, and not by the book.

“I’d like to acknowledge the members of the public who came to speak today, very clearly and obviously very passionately and raised some, again, obviously deep concerns about the project, particularly the interior programming, the size of the main pool, and also the process by which the program for the building was determined by the applicant,” said Matt Shillito, the City’s director of special projects, planning, urban, design, and sustainability, and one of the voting DPB directors.

“But again, as others have said, those items are outside of the scope of our decision today. And in saying that, I recognize how frustrating and disappointing that is to hear but we are required to focus on the application that’s in front of us.”

So far, in response to the outcry, City Council has shown interest in potentially exploring a new aquatic centre with a 50-metre competition-capable pool somewhere in South Vancouver, but it would be years away from realization — in the first half of 2030s at the very earliest.

Park Board staff also assert that the displaced swim clubs and groups at Vancouver Aquatic Centre can be temporarily accommodated at the 50-metre pool at Hillcrest Centre, which could see some of its programs relocated to other facilities to make space in the facility’s current busy schedule.

Hitesh Neb, a local architect and public member of the DPB’s advisory panel — which separately advises, but does not vote — said he sympathized with the public speakers.

“I do believe that the City of Vancouver deserves and requires a 50-metre pool and should be considered, if not on this side and another side. I think the fact that we’re under-subscribing to a competitive pool in downtown Vancouver, I think shows a breakdown in our programs and our athletic programs in the city, more so than the facility itself. And I think it’s something that we should consider as a failure as a community in Vancouver, in my opinion,” said Neb.

Winki Tam, a local business leader and a new public member of the DPB’s advisory panel, added, “I completely acknowledge the concerns raised around trust, scope change, and cost escalation. Those issues are real and they deserve continued dialogue at the Council and governance level… [But] I’m personally very curious about the risk of further delay when we hear and live the reality of cost escalation for everything.”

Lawsuit against the Park Board aims to revert to 50-metre pool design

The project is also facing a lawsuit filed by the Protecting Our Vancouver Aquatic Centre Society, a registered non-profit organization formed earlier this year to advocate for a 50-metre pool and to pursue a community-led legal challenge against the Park Board.

The group is asking the B.C. Supreme Court to order the Park Board to revisit its plans and design a 50-metre pool, arguing that this commitment was a legally binding promise made through the plebiscite. Park Board staff, however, have previously stated in public meetings that there is no legal impediment to proceeding with a 25-metre pool.

Over the past five months, the group has raised more than $42,000 through over 400 online crowdfunding donations toward covering the costs of its retained legal firm, which filed the lawsuit on Aug. 18, 2025.

It remains to be seen whether this lawsuit, if successful, could delay the project, and ultimately force the municipal government to rewind on its significant work to date.

Park Board staff have previously argued that delaying the project to revisit plans for a 50-metre pool would trigger significant cost escalation — not only from construction market inflation tied to delays, but also from major added expenses associated with a larger building footprint, increased geotechnical challenges, and uncertainties related to the potential presence of Indigenous artefacts in the area.

Such a delay would also risk missing the 2022 plebiscite requirement to begin construction by the end of 2026, potentially forcing the project to return to voters for approval through a new plebiscite question on the October 2026 civic election ballot.

A delay could also affect the timeline of the separate project to replace the aging Kitsilano Outdoor Pool, which is deteriorating rapidly and also requires a full replacement. That project is expected to cost more than $100 million, with the City potentially seeking voter approval through a plebiscite question on the October 2026 civic election ballot to fund the project largely through borrowing.

The Vancouver Aquatic Centre redevelopment will require the direct approval of elected officials one more time sometime later in 2026, when City staff’s recommendation for the construction contract award is reviewed by both the Park Board commissioners for endorsement and City Council for final approval.

Architectural firms win design excellence award

Although the Vancouver Aquatic Centre redevelopment has been highly controversial locally, it has received positive attention nationally most recently, specifically with MJMA Architecture & Design + Acton Ostry Architects — the municipal government’s lead design team for the project — winning a 2025 “Award of Excellence” from Canadian Architect earlier this month.

According to the now-approved development permit application, the new facility will span a total building floor area of 169,000 sq. ft., and a height of approximately 74 ft. — slightly taller than the existing facility’s height of about 62 ft. It is being designed to be highly sustainable and accessible, with certifications for Passive House green building, a LEED Gold (BC+C) green building, and Rick Hansen Accessibility gold.

The shape of the new building is inspired by the existing building — the same footprint and gently sloping sides, with a roof that rises toward the water to make room inside for the high diving platforms. Along Beach Avenue, the building stays lower and more horizontal, which helps it feel comfortable and human-scaled for people walking by. As the land slopes downward toward the seawall and English Bay, the roof gradually rises, making the building more visible and giving it a stronger presence when seen from the water and across the city.

The outside of the building will be finished with durable concrete panels that are shaped and layered to echo traditional West Coast architecture. Their horizontal lines are meant to recall the look of cedar plank houses, while vertical elements break up the facade in a way that reflects how those wooden boards were traditionally held together. These design details are intended as a respectful reference to Coast Salish building traditions, not a literal copy.

The building’s main structure is made largely of wood, using large engineered timber beams and panels. Much of this wood will be visible inside the pool hall, giving the interior a warm, natural feel. Through the extensive glass walls, people outside will also be able to see these wood elements, helping connect the building’s inside and outside and softening the overall look of the structure.

The new facility will be more welcoming, easier to get around, and better connected to the waterfront. Around the building, landscaped public spaces will include seating, walkways, and small plazas where people can gather, rest, or enjoy the view. The north side facing Beach Avenue will feature a large open plaza with wide glass windows that let people see into the building, helping it feel open and inviting. Paths around the site will be improved to make it easier and safer for pedestrians and cyclists, especially where the seawall passes the building.

The outdoor areas are also designed to manage rainwater naturally. Shallow planted areas, called rain gardens, will collect and filter rain before it flows into the city’s drainage system or English Bay. These gardens will use tough, mostly native plants that can handle changing weather and don’t need much watering. Some materials from the existing aquatic centre — such as large concrete pieces — will be reused for walkways, terraces, and seating, reducing waste and tying the new building to the old one.

On the south side, next to the seawall, there will be a wide outdoor terrace where activities from inside the aquatic centre can spill outdoors. The terrace will sit slightly above the seawall path, creating a gentle separation between swimmers and passersby while still feeling open.

Parking will remain in the existing surface lot under and beside the Burrard Bridge, with a redesigned layout to improve access. A new entrance and exit from Beach Avenue will be added, along with clearer drop-off areas and more accessible parking. There will be a total of 78 vehicle parking stalls.

During today’s DPB meeting, Lon LaClaire, the City’s general manager of engineering services and one of the board’s voting directors, said he would have preferred a “more diversified facility,” suggesting that retail space, a cafe, restaurant, or bar could have helped bring additional activity to the prominent waterfront area.

An earlier iteration of the design also contemplated including a childcare facility, but that was later cancelled due to spatial and cost constraints.

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