Parts of Vancouver Aquatic Centre closed after concrete falls in pool

Portions of the Vancouver Aquatic Centre (VAC) are closed after a chunk of concrete fell into a pool and acoustic panels on the ceiling were loosened by repair work on the building’s exterior.

The City of Vancouver says the piece of concrete was about four inches by two inches, and repairs to the ceiling are expected to be completed by this weekend.

But the incident has raised concerns for the Canadian Dolphins Swim Club, which is set to host a Swim BC divisional championship at the VAC next Friday.

Club president Jeannie Lo says she’s hopeful the competition will go ahead because it’s too late to pivot to another location.

“We’re talking about 350 swimmers from around the Lower Mainland and the Island,” she said. “For the swimming community, it’s a huge deal. This is what the swimmers are working towards. Some of the senior swimmers are using this meet to springboard to further championships. If they achieve qualifying times, they get to advance. So, it is quite important for winter swimming.”

Lo says even if the club had advance notice of a potential cancellation, there are very few pools in the Lower Mainland that are capable of holding large scale swim meets.

The City says the competition should be able to go ahead as planned.

Still, with debris falling from the roof, it has raised safety concerns from the club.

“The security and safety of our swimmers and coaches is utmost to us,” Lo said. “We’re not sure if the current work is causing more of the structure to fall into the pool. But I would have imagined if they had consulted with us, could they have stalled any works until after the swim meet?”

City says construction on new Vancouver Aquatic Centre scheduled for 2026

This isn’t the first issue for the aging Vancouver Aquatic Centre.

In 2022, a large awning over the front doors of the pool collapsed while the pool wasn’t open. In a statement to The Leader Spirit, the City of Vancouver says engagement and planning for a new VAC is underway right now.

“Construction is anticipated to begin in 2026. The 2023-2026 Capital Plan allocated a total of $140 million in funding towards the planning, design, and construction of a new VAC,” the statement reads.

“The VAC renewal project team will use feedback from previous engagement, along with the current work of the West End Community Hub and the West End Waterfront Masterplan, to guide next steps.”

Meanwhile, Lo says the Canadian Dolphins Club is worried about how that plan will play out.

“It’s our home. We’ve been the anchor tenant of that pool since it opened and we have 300 swimmers who train out of that facility virtually every day of the week. To lose that facility would leave us homeless and potentially mean the end of our nearly 70-year-old club,” she said.

It’s still too early to say what construction of the pool would look like. But Lo says with a shortage of pools in the Metro Vancouver region, there’s no other option for the Dolphins.

“We have tried to engage the city but we haven’t received much information because things haven’t been decided,” Lo said. “Nothing has been laid out in terms of what to do next, but it looks like there is going to be delays.”

She says the Dolphins would explore options throughout the region, but there are a lot of clubs fighting for pool space.

“If we claimed space, it would mean displacing other clubs as well. There’s just generally a shortage overall,” she said. “And if we were to look at other jurisdictions I’m sure we wouldn’t get priority.”

Lo says the issue highlights how important swimming is to people in Vancouver.

“Swimming is really important to this city. There’s a lot of swimmers who are active. Not just competitive swimmers, but we have a masters program and grassroots programs that bring swimming, safety, health, and fitness to the community,” Lo said.

“It’s not just a problem with VAC. We’re hoping that the province looks at facilities for all regions and all cities to keep swimming and aquatics alive.”