Appeal court pauses demolition of Vancouver Aquatic Centre until early November

The B.C. Court of Appeal has temporarily halted further demolition work at the closed Vancouver Aquatic Centre. The controversial redevelopment plan would replace the aging 50-metre lap pool with a 25-metre pool as the new facility’s main tank. Protecting Our Vancouver Aquatic Centre Society and TEAM for a Livable Vancouver announced that appeal judge Justice Dickson granted an interim injunction on the society’s application. It runs only until Nov. 3, 2026, one day after the newly elected Vancouver Park Board’s inaugural meeting, scheduled for Nov. 2. Vancouver residents are due to elect a mayor, city councillors, Park Board commissioners and School Board trustees on Oct. 17.

The injunction does not cancel the redevelopment, require the City to switch to a 50-metre pool in the replacement facility at this time, or overturn the earlier ruling that dismissed the society’s legal challenge. Jonathan Girard, a society director and TEAM Park Board candidate, called the injunction a significant win, saying such orders are difficult to obtain. He said the court had not decided what kind of pool Vancouver would get, but had ensured elected representatives could still make that decision. The society says the order covers interior demolition, stripping and site preparation, along with dismantling the building’s exterior, interior structures and pool basins.

The City and Park Board may apply to amend the order to permit hazardous-materials removal that would preserve the building. The society says they must give it two days’ notice of an application, which would go back to Justice Dickson. The society also says it was not required to promise compensation for the City’s losses from the delay if the injunction is later found to have been wrongly granted.

The City had aimed to begin major construction in late 2026 or early 2027, with completion and opening in 2029. Heatherbrae Builders received a $3.5-million contract in July 2026 for demolition, but the City has not yet awarded the substantial contract to build the new complex. Demolition had been scheduled to start Oct. 1.

The temporary demolition injunction follows the society’s September 2026 loss in the Supreme Court of British Columbia. That separate case considered whether the City could use $103 million in borrowing approved by voters to replace the aquatic centre with a facility containing a 25-metre lap pool. The borrowing question was part of the capital plan plebiscite held during the 2022 civic election. The society argued that voters’ approval depended on retaining a 50-metre pool, citing the City’s capital plan and information distributed before the vote. The judge found that the City and Park Board could reasonably proceed with the 25-metre concept under the approval. The society also hopes to appeal that decision; it has raised a cumulative $115,000 through crowdfunding for its court challenges and advocacy costs.

The approved project design, estimated at $175 million, includes a leisure pool, diving pool, hot tub and fitness gym, in addition to the 25-metre, eight-lane lap pool. All would be built within the existing facility’s land area. The Vancouver Aquatic Centre opened in 1974 and closed permanently on June 28, 2026, to allow preparations for demolition. The society had previously failed in an application to the B.C. Supreme Court to stop the closure at the start of summer.

The project controversy has become an election issue in recent months. Mayeli Alvarez, another society leader, is also running for Park Board commissioner under TEAM, led by mayoral candidate Colleen Hardwick. TEAM has been the most outspoken opponent of the current redevelopment plan and promises a new facility with a 50-metre pool at this location in Sunset Beach Park, on the West End waterfront in downtown Vancouver. “We deserve a say in how our public facilities are renewed,” Alvarez said.

During the campaign, Ken Sim’s ABC Vancouver and Kareem Allam’s Vancouver Liberals have also promised to change this project from a 25-metre pool to a 50-metre pool. The platforms of Pete Fry’s Green Party of Vancouver, Rebecca Bligh’s Vote Vancouver and OneCity Vancouver also support a 50-metre pool, but not by changing the Aquatic Centre redevelopment design. Those parties say a new, modern 50-metre pool should be built elsewhere in Vancouver.

Many swim clubs and other groups that have relied on the Aquatic Centre for decades need a 50-metre pool for training and recreational use. The centre has also trained competitive swimmers, including some who went on to represent Canada at the Olympics. Hillcrest Centre, home to the only other indoor 50-metre pool within Vancouver’s municipal boundaries, is already heavily used and is intended to temporarily accommodate the displaced clubs and groups. A broader shortage of 50-metre pools across Metro Vancouver limits the alternatives.