Civic parties promise 50-metre pool for Vancouver Aquatic Centre rebuild
Three parties running in the October 17 election are now pledging to reverse the park board's 25-metre pool plan for the Vancouver Aquatic Centre. The Green Party proposes a 50-metre pool at a different site.
Reported. A news outlet found this. voche.me names the outlet and links its report. Read the original report on cbc.ca.
Three civic parties running in Vancouver's October 17 election are now promising to reverse the park board's plan to build a 25-metre pool in the Vancouver Aquatic Centre rebuild, CBC reported on October 1, 2026. The facility is scheduled to close for 10 months starting in November.
TEAM for a Livable Vancouver, ABC Vancouver, and the Vancouver Liberals have each committed to a 50-metre competition pool in the replacement building. The Green Party of Vancouver will build a new 50-metre pool at a separate East Vancouver location and keep the 25-metre plan for the aquatic centre site.
What each party says
Colleen Hardwick, TEAM's mayoral candidate, was the first to promise a 50-metre pool for the rebuild, CBC reported. She told CBC that Ken Sim and ABC had reversed course as a political tactic and called the change cynical and typical of ABC's behaviour.
ABC's election platform states it will "rebuild the Vancouver Aquatic Centre with a 50-metre pool," according to CBC. David Grewal, an ABC city council candidate, told CBC that a 50-metre pool can be built within the site's existing footprint, despite earlier statements from park board staff saying it could not.
Kareem Allam, the Vancouver Liberals' mayoral candidate, told CBC he is pledging to "scrap the 25-metre plan day one." Allam also questioned the $175 million price tag for the project. "We've got a problem related to how we're generally building things in this city," he said. These are Allam's stated commitments, not current park board policy.
The Green Party's position, as reported by CBC, is to leave the aquatic centre with a 25-metre pool and build a separate 50-metre pool in East Vancouver, either at Hastings Community Centre or Kensington Community Centre. Tom Digby, a Green Party park board candidate seeking re-election, told CBC he maintains the larger pool cannot fit at the aquatic centre site: "You can't put a large pizza inside a medium box. It just doesn't work."
What the current plan is
Park board staff had previously told residents that a modern 50-metre pool could not fit in the aquatic centre's current footprint, a constraint that shaped the 25-metre design. CBC reported that Grewal disputes this.
The aquatic centre swimming pool is scheduled to close for 10 months starting in November 2026, CBC reported. The facility has been closed to the public since late June 2026. At least one swim club has had to find other locations for its members. The total project budget, as reported by CBC, stands at $175 million.
Susan Boutwood, a pool patron CBC identified as one of many people who have been opposing the smaller pool plan, told CBC the parties' reversal was difficult to understand: "So either they were lying then, or they're lying now."
Voters who want to compare parties on park board issues can read candidate profiles at /candidates/tom-digby and /candidates/david-grewal, and find voting information at /where-to-vote.
Questions this story answers
Which civic parties are promising a 50-metre pool for the Vancouver Aquatic Centre?
CBC reported on October 1, 2026, that three parties have committed to building a 50-metre pool in the aquatic centre rebuild: ABC Vancouver, whose election platform states it will rebuild the centre with a 50-metre pool; TEAM for a Livable Vancouver, whose mayoral candidate Colleen Hardwick was the first to make the promise; and the Vancouver Liberals, whose mayoral candidate Kareem Allam has pledged to scrap the 25-metre plan on day one. Each commitment is that party's stated position, not a decision by the current park board.
What does the Green Party propose for the aquatic centre pool?
The Green Party of Vancouver's position, as reported by CBC, is to keep the 25-metre plan for the Vancouver Aquatic Centre rebuild while building a separate new 50-metre pool in East Vancouver, either at Hastings Community Centre or Kensington Community Centre. Green Party park board candidate Tom Digby said a larger pool cannot fit in the aquatic centre's current footprint, stating: 'You can't put a large pizza inside a medium box. It just doesn't work.' These are the Green Party's stated commitments, not a decision by the current park board.
Why did the park board plan for a 25-metre pool instead of a 50-metre pool?
Park board staff had previously told residents that a modern 50-metre pool could not be built within the aquatic centre's current footprint. ABC city council candidate David Grewal disputed that position, telling CBC that a 50-metre pool can in fact be built on the site. TEAM mayoral candidate Colleen Hardwick said of ABC's change of position: 'Ken Sim and ABC are changing their tune in the lead up to the civic election.' The aquatic centre is a 52-year-old facility at Sunset Beach Park.
How much does the Vancouver Aquatic Centre rebuild cost?
The total project budget is $175 million. Vancouver Liberals mayoral candidate Kareem Allam said he is also questioning that $175 million price tag, telling CBC: 'We've got a problem related to how we're generally building things in this city.' That figure is the price tag for the project as reported by CBC. Whether a 50-metre pool would change the cost is not stated in the CBC report, and no party has published a costed breakdown for a larger pool.
When is the Vancouver Aquatic Centre closing for demolition?
CBC reported that the Vancouver Aquatic Centre swimming pool is scheduled to close for 10 months starting in November 2026. The facility has already been closed to the public since late June 2026. CBC reported that the closure has led at least one swim club to find other locations for hundreds of its members. The demolition and rebuild project is separate from the decisions that candidates are campaigning on.
Who is Susan Boutwood and what is her position on the pool?
Susan Boutwood is a pool patron identified by CBC as one of many people who have been opposing the smaller-pool plan. CBC reported that she said parties' change of position on the pool size was maddening: 'So either they were lying then, or they're lying now,' she told CBC, referring to earlier statements that a 50-metre pool could not fit in the footprint. Boutwood is not a candidate in the election.
Who is Tom Digby and what is his position?
Tom Digby is the Green Party of Vancouver's candidate for park board, seeking re-election in the October 17, 2026 vote. CBC reported that Digby maintains a 50-metre pool cannot fit in the aquatic centre's current footprint. The Green Party's position, as described by CBC, is to build a 50-metre pool at a different East Vancouver location rather than at the aquatic centre site. You can read his profile at /candidates/tom-digby.
How can I find out more about the park board candidates and vote on October 17?
The park board race is one of four races in the October 17, 2026 Vancouver municipal election. You can read candidate profiles for Colleen Hardwick at /candidates/colleen-hardwick, Kareem Allam at /candidates/kareem-allam, Ken Sim at /candidates/ken-sim, David Grewal at /candidates/david-grewal, and Tom Digby at /candidates/tom-digby. Information on where and how to vote is at /where-to-vote.
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