Burnaby's Central Park outdoor swimming pool will be converted to indoor

A tension-membrane modular structure enclosure for Centennial Aquatic Centre in Collingwood, Ontario. (Sprung)

In an effort to provide more year-round aquatic recreational facility access, the City of Burnaby is providing the Central Park Pool with a roof cover and enclosure that effectively turns the outdoor pool into an indoor one.

Late last month, Burnaby City Council endorsed City staff’s recommendation to install a tensioned-membrane modular structure to cover the pool, which is located on the west side of Central Park next to Boundary Road and just south of Swangard Stadium.

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This modular solution, allowing for relatively quick construction at a lower cost compared to a conventional structure, will be an aluminum structure covered by a high-tension fabric building system. The structure is expected to have a 50-year lifespan, although the fabric cover would need to a mid-life replacement during this period.

centennial aquatic centre pool collingwood ontario

A tension-membrane modular structure enclosure for Centennial Aquatic Centre in Collingwood, Ontario. (Sprung)

City staff specifically note the 2022-installed modular enclosure at Centennial Aquatic Centre in Collingwood, Ontario, is a precise example of the type of structure that could be installed at Central Park Pool.

Rollup doors and translucent panels will improve natural light, allowing some exposure to the outdoors when the weather permits. But while the enclosure provides protection from the sun, rain, snow, and wind, it does not allow the indoor environment to be heated, nor does the fabric provide significant insulation from cold weather.

It is expected the modular structure’s installation this year will require a complete shutdown of the pool for about three months, with the goal of having the facility reopen for public use in time for the upcoming 2023/2024 winter season. The project is expected to cost between $3 million and $4 million.

Existing outdoor condition of Central Park Pool in Burnaby:

Central Park Pool. (City of Burnaby)

Example of a tension-membrane modular structure roof for a pool:

A tension-membrane modular structure enclosure for Centennial Aquatic Centre in Collingwood, Ontario. (Sprung)

In addition to the modular structure, City staff have noted further investments are needed to enable wintertime pool operations, including the installation of temporary indoor, heated washroom and changeroom facilities. Such temporary supporting facilities could eventually be replaced by permanent facilities.

Over the longer term, Central Park Pool will need to be replaced due to its age. The pool first opened in 1962, and its tank and mechanical systems are expected to need replacement in the next five to 10 years. The size of the pool also necessitates major upgrades to its water heating capabilities during the winter.

It is an eight-lane, 50-metre pool with a depth of one to four metres, which makes it a popular facility for lap and elite swimmers. With its size, it is the only outdoor pool in Burnaby capable of hosting large competitions, and it has frequently hosted the BC Summer Swimming Championships. City staff anticipate swim clubs and dedicated lane swimmers would continue to use the facility with its new indoor cover throughout most of the winter.

Central Park Pool. (City of Burnaby)

A tension-membrane modular structure enclosure for Centennial Aquatic Centre in Collingwood, Ontario. (Sprung)

If the municipal government were to pursue building a brand-new conventional, rigid structure to enclose a new replacement pool, it would cost about $30 million. However, at this time, moving forward with such a permanent solution has been deemed premature due to City staff’s preference to create an overall citywide outdoor aquatic strategy.

The modular enclosure for Central Park Pool to expand its operating season to year-round is also a measure to mitigate the impacts of the forthcoming temporary closures of Burnaby Lake West’s C.G. Brown Memorial Pool, which will be replaced by a new destination-sized aquatic centre, and the pool at Simon Fraser University’s Burnaby Mountain campus, which will be renovated.

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