$230-million North Vancouver aquatic and community centre to open this summer | Daily Hive

$230-million Harry Jerome aquatic and community centre in North Vancouver to open this summer

January 2026 construction progress on the new Harry Jerome Community Recreation Centre. (City of North Vancouver)

The City of North Vancouver will soon have one of Metro Vancouver’s largest and most modern community and recreation centres, with the long-awaited new Harry Jerome Community Recreation Centre scheduled to open to the public in late July 2026.

City staff confirmed the timeline this week, marking a major milestone for the project.

Designed by Vancouver-based architectural firm HCMA, it is expected to become a central hub for sports, wellness, and community programming on the North Shore.

You might also like:

The replacement of the old Harry Jerome Recreation Centre is one of the largest civic projects ever undertaken by the City of North Vancouver.

The new 188,000 sq. ft. complex includes a NHL-sized ice rink with seating for up to 500 spectators and a major aquatic centre with a 25-metre, 10-lane lap swimming pool and a leisure pool with a lazy river and play features, as well as a full-sized gymnasium, various fitness gym and studio facilities, and other community facilities — such as a community kitchen, rooms for art, youth and preschool programming, multi-purpose activity areas, and informal gathering spaces. There will also be a cafe.

Additionally, it will have various notable outdoor features, including a large children’s playground, a substantial skate park, and sports courts.

Fall 2025 construction progress on the new Harry Jerome Community Recreation Centre. (City of North Vancouver)

2021 artistic rendering of the downsized scope of the new Harry Jerome Community Recreation Centre. (HCMA/City of North Vancouver)

Upon opening, it will dramatically expand the City’s recreational capacity and become one of the most heavily used public buildings on the North Shore. The project’s construction first began in 2022, and it carries a cost of about $230 million.

Due to pre-pandemic cost escalation, an updated planning process to revise the project led to the project’s downsizing in 2021, especially with the aquatic centre’s main tank falling in size from a 50-metre, Olympic-sized lap swimming pool to a smaller 25-metre pool.

The new centre is located at the northeast corner of the intersection of Lonsdale Avenue and East 23 Street — a City-owned site that previously had public park and surface vehicle parking uses.

After the new centre opens, the aging facility just to the south will be closed and eventually replaced by a major mixed-use residential and commercial complex.

“The opening of the new Harry Jerome Community Recreation Centre marks a transformative moment for North Vancouver, and it’s been long-awaited with excitement,” said City of North Vancouver mayor Linda Buchanan in a statement.

“This is more than a community recreation centre, it is a bold investment in our health, wellbeing and shared future. We are incredibly proud to deliver a world-class facility that honours Harry Jerome’s remarkable legacy of excellence, perseverance, and community spirit. With this new centre, we reaffirm our commitment to building a healthier, more inclusive city where people of all ages and abilities can thrive.”

Harry Jerome Community Recreation Centre North Vancouver downsized

2021 artistic rendering of the downsized scope of the new Harry Jerome Community Recreation Centre. (HCMA/City of North Vancouver)

Operations of the facility will be managed by the North Vancouver Recreation & Culture Commission, which plans to offer a wide range of programs, rentals and services once the building opens. Details about the transition from the existing Harry Jerome Community Recreation Centre to the new facility are expected to be announced in the coming months.

The opening of the new centre is part of a broader redevelopment of recreation facilities in the area.

Residents can also expect the future opening of the Silver Harbour Seniors’ Activity Centre and the reopening of the Mickey McDougall Community Recreation Centre, which is currently being renovated to become the home of Flicka Gymnastics.

Along with the recently completed North Vancouver Lawn Bowling Clubhouse and Greens, these projects are intended to create a larger recreation precinct in the city, expanding access to programs and community gathering spaces.

The municipal government is also in the early stages of considering the feasibility of building a public park deck over the Upper Levels Highway, immediately adjacent to the new Harry Jerome Community Recreation Centre.

2021 artistic rendering of the downsized scope of the new Harry Jerome Community Recreation Centre. (HCMA/City of North Vancouver)

You might also like: