Once upon a time, the South Vancouver-Sunset neighbourhood used to have a swimming pool.
In fact, there were two swimming pools within walking distance of the Sunset Community Centre and Langara College.
Now, that neighbourhood has zero swimming pools since the pool at the YMCA on 49th Avenue recently closed, and the Sunset Community Centre pool closed over 15 years ago. The closest one to the neighbourhood now is at Kilarney Secondary School.
While there is a swimming pool at Hillcrest Community Centre, that’s not technically South Vancouver. On top of that, Hillcrest consistently sees large crowds as it is, further highlighting the need for another pool in South Vancouver. Sunset does still have an ice rink across the street from where the pool used to be.
We’re discussing this because a motion to build a new 50-metre pool in that neighbourhood was voted down, and Park Board Commissioner Jaspreet Virdi is unhappy about it on behalf of the South Vancouver community.
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As Virdi shared with Daily Hive, the YMCA pool was a significant hub for older residents who no longer have a place to swim in their community. Hillcrest and Killarney are quite far away for folks with mobility or travel issues. When the YMCA redevelopment was announced, we learned there would be no replacement pool.
The Sunset Community Centre pool closed in 2008, but it was a major swimming hot spot for younger residents and families.
The new Sunset Community Centre in Vancouver. (Revery Architecture)
That pool would always be busy in the summer months. With temperatures rising and summer temperatures becoming increasingly extreme, these pools would provide communities with a place to cool off.
Virdi pointed out that according to VanSplash, South Van is identified as an underserved area.
“If you look at any of the surveys that were done, it doesn’t put South Van anywhere near getting a pool.”
The demographic might have something to do with the lack of meaningful consultation.
“A lot of the people are seniors, a lot of people are younger. They used the pools when they were here, but they don’t necessarily have access to the surveys that were done.”
The old YMCA on 49th Avenue. (Ken Gardner/Google)
ABC Vancouver noted in a press release that Liberal MP Taleeb Noormohamed supported the idea for a pool in South Vancouver when the motion was voted down.
“South Vancouver is already lacking aquatic infrastructure, with two pools being decommissioned in the last 20 years. The area is now being further denied an opportunity for improvement — despite a clear need and support from MP Taleeb Noormohamed,” the press release stated.
Virdi had thoughts on that too, saying, “When a government’s giving you money, or offering you money, and we desperately need pools, you don’t say no.”
We asked Virdi if tensions between ABC Vancouver and the Vancouver Park Board — given ABC’s plan to abolish it — may play into these political dynamics between the two sides.
He said “maybe,” but he doesn’t think that’s the core of ABC and the Vancouver Park Board’s disagreement.
Virdi was quoted in news reports last week, saying he believes the park board is broken, and we wondered if it was beyond repair.
“I don’t know if it can be fixed. When you have two boards responsible for the same thing, there’s ultimately going to be finger-pointing.”
Virdi wanted to hold a meeting where the public could speak about the lack of swimming spaces in South Vancouver, but that never came to pass.
“That’s why I got upset. You could vote down the pool. That’s fine. But by saying you’re not letting people come up and speak to it, that really hit a nerve.”
For now, Virdi will continue to fight for a pool in South Vancouver. He said he has received many letters of support from the community, but as it stands, the hopes for a new pool in South Vancouver are sinking.
“I think we’re not going to get a pool because we’re not represented, and that’s the gap that I feel the park board always has.”
We’ve contacted Noormohamed for more on his support for a new pool.
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