Vancouver officials released the results of a feasibility study on Monday to repair or replace Kitsilano Pool, which has reached the end of its functional life.
North America’s longest outdoor pool, which opened in its current shape in 1979, has been facing several deteriorating components over the last few years, which caused the pool not to open at all in 2024 and delayed opening in 2025.
In a written statement, the City of Vancouver and the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation say that the results of the feasibility study highlight three options to save the iconic pool for future generations to come.
Each option comes with different budgets and expected lifespans for the pool, with the most expensive one proposing a complete replacement of the facility, calculating costs at $230 – $300 million.
The two cheaper options would be less invasive, pitching either a renovation of the existing facility at an expected cost of $90 million or merely repairing the malfunctioning elements of Kitsilano Pool for approximately $40 million.
While the cheapest option would extend the pool’s lifespan by another 15 years, renovating would double that expected lifespan to 30 years and replacing the facility would give it a whole new life of around 75 years.
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“Each option involves different trade-offs related to cost, longevity, climate resilience, service continuity, and alignment with broader citywide infrastructure priorities,” Monday’s statement explained.
A decision has not been made, and city officials say that they will provide an update on how to proceed later this spring.
Both the Vancouver City Council and the park board will debate the proposed options within the context of the 2027-2030 Capital Plan.
Last month, Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim announced that his administration would allocate $400 million across five community centres as part of the plan. His statements on April 15 did not mention the Kitsilano Pool, only a proposed investment in a 25-metre pool at Sunset Park.
Despite what the future will hold for the pool, it is scheduled to open this summer.
Officials are anticipating an opening date in mid-June, provided that the current maintenance work wraps up as planned, which was not the case in the previous two summers.
“Pre-season work includes assessing the pool’s condition and completing necessary repairs to its pipes and basin,” the release read.
“Once repairs are complete, the pool will be filled, water treated and heated, followed by an annual inspection by the health authority prior to opening.”