ABC Vancouver’s Ralph Kaisers and Jaime Stein
Demand Park Board Retain 50-Metre Pool at Vancouver Aquatic Centre
February 26, 2025 – Vancouver, BC – ABC Vancouver by-election candidates Jaime Stein and Ralph Kaisers are calling on the Vancouver Park Board to protect the future of community recreation by ensuring the new Vancouver Aquatic Centre includes a full 50-metre pool. The current proposal to downsize to a 25-metre pool undermines both community access and competitive swimming standards.
“The community was promised both a 50-metre lap pool and a new leisure pool. The entire community consultation process revolved around expanding the facility to serve both the needs of our competitive athletes and our families. It shouldn’t be an either-or situation and it doesn’t make sense to get rid of the only pool within Vancouver capable of hosting swim competitions,” said Jaime Stein.
Ralph Kaisers echoed the concern: “This could devastate the competitive swim community. Fifty-metre pools are the international standard. Building a 25-metre pool would be like constructing a hockey rink that’s 40 metres too short and 25 metres too narrow.”
The Vancouver Aquatic Centre has long been a hub for fitness, recreation, and competition. Replacing the existing 50-metre pool with a smaller facility would reduce capacity, limit community programming, and force competitive swimmers to train elsewhere.
On Monday, February 24, Vancouver Park Board Staff presented a report recommending the new Vancouver Aquatic Centre include a smaller 25-metre lap pool.
ABC Park Board commissioners supported the motion urging the Park Board to keep the 50-metre competitive lap pool in the new facility, and introduced amendments requesting the pool meet the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification Gold requirements and that an updated report is submitted within a month to ensure the Board doesn’t miss the window for funding.
ABC Vancouver is urging the Park Board to listen to the community and reconsider the proposal before it’s too late. This is yet another reason why the Park Board needs to be dissolved – the system is broken and we need to fix it.
Media Contact:
Tara Foslien
ABC Vancouver
tara.foslien@abcvancouver.ca
604-202-3038
www.abcvancouver.ca
ABC Vancouver remains committed to ensuring Vancouver’s parks and recreation facilities meet the needs of all residents, both now and for generations to come.