---
title: "Court upholds city plan to replace Vancouver Aquatic Centre pool with 25-metre design"
description: "A B.C. Supreme Court judge dismissed the legal challenge to Vancouver's plan to demolish and rebuild the aquatic centre with a smaller pool, and two of the society's directors are running for Park Board."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/news/aquatic-centre-court-ruling-september-26"
last_updated: "2026-09-26T03:46:58.276Z"
---

A B.C. Supreme Court judge dismissed the legal challenge to the City of Vancouver's plan to replace the Vancouver Aquatic Centre's 50-metre lap pool with a 25-metre pool, Daily Hive Vancouver reported on September 26, 2026. Two of the three directors of the society that brought the challenge are running for Park Board in the October 17 election.

Justice Christopher Giaschi ruled it was reasonable for the Park Board and the City to conclude that building a new facility with a 25-metre pool came within the borrowing that 68.4 percent of voters approved in the 2022 civic election plebiscite. "Nothing in the evidence supports the assertion that the City or the Park Board deliberately misled voters," the judge wrote.

## What the society argued

The Protecting Our Vancouver Aquatic Centre Society challenged the city's use of $103 million in voter-approved borrowing for a replacement project that would not include a 50-metre pool. The society argued the plebiscite materials had described plans to renew the facility in a way that implied the longer pool would be kept.

The judge found the approval process fair. The court also ruled the city was not required to release confidential financial records for the public hearing to proceed lawfully.

## The candidates' connection

Jon Girard and Mayeli Alvarez, both Park Board candidates under TEAM for a Livable Vancouver, are directors of the society. Daily Hive Vancouver reported they are two of the three directors of the group. Both candidates' involvement in the legal challenge is part of the public court record.

The society announced after the ruling that it plans to appeal. In a statement reported by Daily Hive Vancouver, the group described the demolition timing as "vindictive, and profoundly anti-democratic."

## What happens next

The city has scheduled demolition to begin October 1, 2026, twelve days before the election. It approved a $3.5 million demolition contract with Heatherbrae Builders in July 2025. The facility has been closed since late June 2026 after concrete fell from the ceiling in November 2025 and a partial exterior wall had collapsed in March 2022.

The total project budget stands at $175 million, up from an initial estimate of $140 million after City Council approved an additional $35 million in June 2025.

Voters who want to learn more about [Jon Girard](/candidates/jon-girard) and [Mayeli Alvarez](/candidates/mayeli-alvarez) can read their profiles at voche.me, and can find voting location information at [/where-to-vote](/where-to-vote).

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