North Vancouver's Harbour Swimming Deck in Burrard Inlet could open in 2027 | Daily Hive

Concept of the North Vancouver Harbour Deck for seawater swimming on the Lonsdale waterfront. (HCMA/Swim Drink Fish/City of North Vancouver)

If all goes as planned, the new Harbour Swimming Deck on North Vancouver’s Lonsdale waterfront could be ready by Summer 2027.

The concept of building a floating seawater harbour pool in Burrard Inlet was first jointly announced by the City of North Vancouver and national charity Swim Drink Fish in Fall 2025.

The project’s momentum is being driven by secured capital funding, with Canada’s Weston family — best known for its ownership of the Loblaws grocery store empire — providing Swim Drink Fish with $16 million. The municipal government will contribute another $5 million, bringing the estimated total project cost to $21 million.

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The floating platform, intended to enable a natural swimming experience, would be built in the open seawaters of Burrard Inlet just offshore from North Vancouver’s Waterfront Park. The site is immediately west of TransLink’s SeaBus maintenance facility and the Lonsdale SeaBus ferry terminal, and just east of Mosquito Creek Marina.

According to a City staff presentation to North Vancouver City Council earlier this year, the facility would carry annual operating and maintenance costs of about $700,000 to $800,000. This includes providing a lifeguard presence during the peak season and overnight security.

By comparison, the construction cost of building a conventional outdoor swimming pool on land would range between $40 million and $80 million, with significantly higher operating costs. Recently built conventional outdoor pools elsewhere in Metro Vancouver have carried construction costs of $20 million to $32 million, along with operating costs of between $77,000 and $225,000 per month for a four-month summer season.

north vancouver harbour deck swimming lonsdale

Location of the North Vancouver Harbour Deck for seawater swimming on the Lonsdale waterfront. (HCMA/Swim Drink Fish/City of North Vancouver)

Existing condition:

Location of the North Vancouver Harbour Deck for seawater swimming on the Lonsdale waterfront. (HCMA/Swim Drink Fish/City of North Vancouver)

Future condition:

Concept of the North Vancouver Harbour Deck for seawater swimming on the Lonsdale waterfront. (HCMA/Swim Drink Fish/City of North Vancouver)

The Harbour Swimming Deck is intended to be a free-to-access swimming facility and a year-round destination for “polar bear” swimming and cold plunges. During busier periods of the year, however, an online booking system could be implemented.

The City anticipates that visitation to this one-of-a-kind swimming facility in Metro Vancouver could generate about $10 million in additional annual spending at Lower Lonsdale businesses. It is estimated the facility could accommodate more than 500,000 visitors each year.

The floating deck and swimming areas would add about 75,000 sq. ft. of accessible public space to the waterfront.

The design includes three 50-metre dedicated swimming lanes within a sheltered enclosure, an open swimming area closer to shore that would also be enclosed by the floating structure, and three-metre and five-metre jumping and diving platforms.

The floating deck itself would feature a shallow-water area with zero-entry access, enclosed by the structure on all four sides, along with ample seating and some shaded areas.

On land, the project would include outdoor showers, changing stalls, lounging and social areas, and upgrades to the park’s existing washrooms. Other proposed features include pop-up food and beverage offerings, pop-up saunas, and a pop-up sandy beach.

There would be two access ramps to the floating deck: a long zig-zag accessible gangway ramp on the east side, immediately adjacent to the existing Waterfront Park Dock pier, and a shorter direct gangway ramp on the west side.

Concept of the North Vancouver Harbour Deck for seawater swimming on the Lonsdale waterfront. (HCMA/Swim Drink Fish/City of North Vancouver)

Since the plan was first announced last fall, the concept has faced some criticism, with critics questioning whether the facility would be well used given the cold water temperatures — for example, today’s water temperature in the area reached about 16°C — as well as its location in an industrial waterfront area near Seaspan’s shipyard facilities, the SeaBus maintenance facility and terminal, and Mosquito Creek Marina.

However, according to the City, more than two years of regular water quality testing, conducted during a range of different conditions, by Swim Drink Fish shows the site “consistently meets or exceeds health standards.” Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) deems water unsafe for swimming when E. coli levels reach 200 counts per 100 mL of water, and there were only limited occasions when it exceeded such levels over a short period.

The charity, which has a mandate of advocating for the restoration of local waters in communities to enable safe swimming, will continue to perform regular water testing until March 2027, at which point the municipal government — along with Metro Vancouver Regional District and VCH — will be responsible for this monitoring work.

Sample water quality tests near Waterfront Park, the site of North Vancouver Harbour Swimming Deck. (City of North Vancouver)

Cold-water swimming already takes place at Vancouver’s popular beaches, and the North Vancouver site also benefits from strong public transit access and a central location.

The City of North Vancouver has received considerable praise for its waterfront placemaking project east of the SeaBus terminal, The Shipyards, which is widely regarded as one of Metro Vancouver’s most successful event-friendly public spaces. It remains to be seen whether the City can create another major waterfront success west of the ferry terminal with the Harbour Swimming Deck.

Designed by Vancouver architectural firm HCMA, the idea is intended to emulate the success of similar natural swimming facilities in northern Europe, including Islands Brygge and Sandkaj Harbour Bath in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The City’s online survey for public consultation, which began earlier this month, is set to conclude this week.

To meet the targeted opening in Summer 2027, construction would begin early next year. That would also depend on receiving the necessary regulatory approvals from Vancouver Fraser Port Authority.

Later this summer, the City will be opening a new indoor aquatic centre, as a key part of the $230-million new Harry Jerome Community Recreation Centre.

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