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Avid swimmers packed the lanes of Vancouver’s Kitsilano Pool just an hour after the pool opened for the summer season Wednesday morning.
And while locals are celebrating the new season of the city’s largest outdoor swimming pool, the facility is facing “significant challenges.”
Located right next to English Bay, the pool was built entirely within a designated floodplain and wave hazard zone, according to a memo from city and park board staff earlier this year.
The pool, first built in 1931 and re-built in 1978, is vulnerable to sea-level rise projections and increasing storm surge threats that are expected to worsen over time, according to staff.
The memo shared three options for the pool’s future ranging in cost from $40 million to $300 million.
A king tide event flooded Kitsilano Pool with water in January 2022. (City of Vancouver/Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation)
The lowest cost, $40-million option would protect the pool in the immediate future for an estimated 15 years and only disrupt service for up to one summer season, according to the memo.
Alternatively, a $90-million renovation would increase the pool’s life span for about 30 years by reinforcing the existing pool.
With “moderate” renovations and accessibility upgrades, that option would build “intensive coastal infrastructure including [a] flood wall that limits views from [the] pool,” while retaining other existing pool features like the splash pad and concession.
The renovation would disrupt the pool’s service for up to two summer seasons, according to the memo.
Staff also shared two options for a full overhaul of Kits Pool: a $230-million replacement or a similar $300-million version with extras.
The cheaper of the two would relocate the pool out of the floodplain to extend the lifespan to 70 years or more — but could also mean closing the pool for up to three summers. The replacement would feature a 100-metre lap tank and a separate leisure pool with a 25-metre lane area and play features.
It would also include a new community stage and concession facilities.
A concept image of the $230-million Kitsilano Pool replacement option. Staff note the rendering is not representative of the design of a future facility and the future of the pool has not been decided. (Vancouver Park Board/City of Vancouver/HCMA Architecture + Design)
The $300-million replacement would increase the length of the lap pool to 137.5 metres and add wellness amenities such as a hot pool, cold plunge and sauna, as well as a partial roof cover over the leisure pool.
There have been no decisions on the options to date. Staff plan to seek decisions from the park board and council through the capital planning process.
In the memo, staff recommended including $40 million in the next capital plan to protect the pool and suggested looking for grants from senior governments to support the project. They noted replacing the pool entirely would not proceed until full funding is secured.
Previous pool problems
Park board staff said in 2023 that the pool was leaking 30,000 litres of water an hour due to cracks and breaks in recirculation pipes, caused in part by a king tide event in 2022.
Repairs eventually put the pool in a much better position, according to city staff, but they noted the facility was still at end-of-life.
The pool is the longest public outdoor swimming pool and Vancouver’s only public salt-water swimming pool.