Proposed changes to Vancouver Aquatic Centre sparks petition

Planned upgrades to the Vancouver Aquatic Centre (VAC) have sparked community pushback due to the size of the pool.

For half a century, the centre has been a hub for the local swimming community, but the crumbling structure is ready to be replaced.

The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation’s new proposal to replace it includes reducing the size of the pool from 50 to 25 metres — and the proposal isn’t sitting well with some local swimmers.

The proposed $170-million project at the VAC includes a smaller pool, as well as a leisure pool, new dive towers, and a modern fitness centre. According to the park board, the current 50-metre pool doesn’t meet modern standards for competition or accessibility. The board says it risks losing the initial funding if construction is delayed.

An online petition is urging the park board to reconsider its plans.

“We urge our Park Board and City Council to consider a responsible and forward-thinking approach of building a new 50-meter pool while preserving our existing facilities,” the change.org petition said. As of Wednesday night, the petition has been signed by more than 4,000 objectors.

Gilles Beaudin of the English Bay Swim Club says if the proposal goes through, it would mean less pool time for competitive and recreational swimmers alike.

“We’re going to have to look elsewhere, and obviously, cut down our program. And when you cut down programs, the value of the teams diminishes,” said Beaudin.

The cost of the new Aquatic Centre was originally pegged at $140 million but now requires an additional $30 million.

If the proposal goes forward, the closest 50-metre pool for community members would be as far as Hilcrest Recreation Centre. But Beaudin says every pool in the city is facing heavy demand, and he’s afraid there won’t be other options for a training facility that meets the needs for competitive swimming.

“I’d say 20 per cent still compete. We have ten meets during the year; We have provincial championships; national championships. [But] 80 per cent are there for the social and fitness part of things — to swim in a group and to have friends — they’re going to miss out on all that.”

Phil Skinder, a longtime coach with the Pacific Swim Academy, says there’s a growing demand for swimming lessons in the city and is concerned about a lack of opportunity for kids to learn how to swim while the pool is closed for construction.

“That’s going to create even more strain on the system; it’s going to make a problematic situation even worse. And my biggest concern is, ‘Who’s going to suffer the most?’ It’s the children,” Skinder explained. “We have a cohort of kids who don’t know how to swim and will not know how to swim.”

The park board is set to bring the final budget proposal to Vancouver city council in March.