New Westminster to hold "farewell" public tours for Canada Games Pool | Daily Hive

Canada Games Pool (City of New Westminster)

For one day only, the general public is being invited to take a walk-through tour of Canada Games Pool before it is demolished.

The City of New Westminster is holding the free event on Saturday, February 12, 2022, and visitors are asked to register online for a 15-minute time slot between 11 am and 3 pm.

This is not an opportunity for a final swim; while photo opportunities are encouraged, there will be no water as decommissioning work on the facility has already begun.

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The municipal government made the decision in November 2021 to permanently close the pool, effective immediately, years earlier than planned.

Up until that point, the pool had been closed on a temporarily basis since September 2021, when heavy rainfall caused flooding in the mechanical room. Moreover, extensive cracks causing water leakage were later discovered in the main pool tanks, and secondary damage to the PVC pipes underneath the tank caused additional water loss.

Canada Games Pool (City of New Westminster)

A full repair of the facility would take at least eight months to complete and carries significant costs and risks, given that any attempt to repair the pool could uncover additional issues or challenges.

With these factors in mind, especially with the highly limited remaining lifespan of the facility, the municipal government decided to proceed with an early decommission.

“We appreciate the significance this facility has in our community and throughout the region,” said Dean Gibson, director of parks and recreation for the City of New Westminster.

“We hope this chance to walk through the Canada Games Pool one last time will help provide a sense of closure as we say goodbye to a piece of New Westminster history and look forward to creating new memories at our future aquatics and community centre.”

Construction began on a new $107-million replacement and expanded aquatics and community centre in Spring 2021. Canada Games Pool was originally slated for a closure in August 2023, just before the completion and opening of the new facility later in the year.

Featuring an Olympic-standard swimming and diving tank, Canada Games Pool was built in time for the 1973 Canada Summer Games held in New Westminster. Over the decades, it has been a hub for competitive swimming and community recreation.

New Westminster Aquatics and Community Centre Canada Games Pool

Artistic rendering of the New Westminster Aquatics and Community Centre, replacing Canada Games Pool and Centennial Centre. (HCMA/City of New Westminster)

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