---
title: "First Nations land claims block 50-metre pool at Vancouver Aquatic Centre, Park Board chair says"
description: "The province will not allow the Vancouver Aquatic Centre footprint to expand because First Nations land claims on the foreshore land have not been settled, Park Board chair Tom Digby said October 14."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/news/aquatic-centre-first-nations-land-50m-pool-october-14"
last_updated: "2026-10-17T19:03:20.259Z"
---

A BC Court of Appeal injunction paused demolition work at the Vancouver Aquatic Centre on October 13, holding things until at least November 3. But a deeper obstacle to rebuilding a 50-metre pool may be harder to clear than a court date.

Park Board chair Tom Digby told Global News BC on October 14 that the province has refused to let the aquatic centre expand its footprint. The province owns the foreshore land beside the site, Digby said, and refuses to allow expansion because land claims from the Musqueam Indian Band, Squamish Nation, and Tsleil-Waututh Nation have not been settled on that property.

A 50-metre competition pool requires a larger building than a 25-metre one. Modern safety and competition rules need more deck space, equipment, and spectator areas, and the current site cannot fit those requirements without building onto the adjacent foreshore property.

## Three Nations, one unresolved question

The Musqueam Indian Band, Squamish Nation, and Tsleil-Waututh Nation hold unsettled land claims on the foreshore beside the aquatic centre. The three Nations work together on land matters through the MST Development Corporation.

Musqueam Chief Wayne Sparrow told Global News the province had proposed a $1 lease of the land to the City of Vancouver without sitting down with the Nations first. "If they lease it for a dollar, what's our accommodation, 3 cents?" Sparrow said. "I keep stressing that the Crown has a duty to consult and accommodate us."

No meeting between the province and MST Development Corporation has taken place, Global News reported.

Sparrow said the Nations are willing to talk. "We are always open to conversations; it's Crown land and whatever the government decides they want to do about it, they have to come and talk to us."

## Where this leaves candidates

The 50-metre pool has been a promise from several candidates in the Park Board race this election. Ken Sim, seeking re-election as mayor, has also promised to deliver a 50-metre pool. The provincial land restriction means any such commitment depends on a deal that has not been started.

The court injunction runs until November 3, one day after the first scheduled Park Board meeting for the newly elected commissioners. Demolition work is paused until then. Whatever the new Park Board decides about the aquatic centre, the foreshore land question remains with the province and the MST Nations.

Voters choosing Park Board commissioners on October 17 can compare where the candidates stand on this question. You can read [Tom Digby's profile at voche.me](/candidates/tom-digby) and compare all Park Board candidates.

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