How We Got Here
Learn more about the planning and engagement work that has taken place to inform the development of this project.
April 2021
Construction on the new aquatic and community centre began!
June 2020 – Construction & Funding Update
Construction on the New Westminster Aquatics and Community Centre was temporarily suspended as a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on municipal operations.
The City of New Westminster was also informed that its grant application to the Community, Culture and Recreation Federal/Provincial bilateral funding stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) was unsuccessful.
As a result of this funding outcome, and in accordance with Council’s prior decisions regarding the project scope and its contingency upon significant grant funding, the final design has focused on the Community Recreation Facility option. This option includes an eight-lane 50 m pool with two moveable bulkheads, a moveable floor, and spectator seating to maximize flexibility and use of this space. This will include the ability to host local swim competitions.
December 2019 – Facility Naming Process
The City of New Westminster proceeded with the process of identifying a name for the new aquatic and community centre, including the option of selecting an Indigenous name for the facility.
In 2018/2019, the City undertook an engagement process with urban Indigenous peoples living and/or working in New Westminster to hear feedback on how the new aquatics and community centre can be more welcoming for Indigenous peoples using the facility. The results were compiled into a final report, including a series of recommendations, which can be found here.
As part of a larger commitment to Reconciliation, the City of New Westminster (as directed by City Council) engaged with representatives from the urban Indigenous community and representatives from local First Nations to participate on a Joint Naming Advisory Panel to provide recommendations to City Council for a potential name for the new facility.
June 2019
In the spring of 2019 the City of New Westminster conducted a broad community engagement process to check-in with the community about the developing design for the NWACC. The process included public information sessions, an online survey, presentations to City Committees, engagement with the NWACC Advisory Panel, the formation of an advisory panel regarding Privacy Swims, engagement with the Muslim community and urban Indigenous engagement.
Through the engagement process the Community expressed their strong support of the proposed facility with over 90% of respondents agreeing that the design supports the goals that were established at the project outset. Many other specific functional interests that were expressed by the community have been integrated into the project design as a result of this engagement process.
April 2019
In 2018, the City of New Westminster led a broad community and stakeholder engagement process to check-in with the community on the proposed program concept for the new aquatics and community centre facility. The community demonstrated strong support for the proposed project and design concept which is a community-focused aquatic centre that can accommodate competitive training and small-scale competitions. We also heard a desire from the Hyack Swim Club for an enhanced facility that would support local and regional level swimming competitions.
In June 2018, New Westminster City Council passed a recommendation to pursue two design options for the new facility: a community recreation facility that is consistent with the results of the community engagement process and a design option that includes the components included in the first option but with augmented competition hosting components. The second (enhanced) design option is contingent on the City of New Westminster successfully obtaining significant grant funding. Both design options will be considered as part of the detailed design review process.
South Elevation
Building on the programmatic recommendations defined in the 2017 Feasibility Study and on the feedback received from the public engagement process, the project team (HCMA Architecture + Design and their consultant team) along with New Westminster City staff, have been working to further refine the program space and architectural design.
The project team is approximately halfway through the design work for the project, currently concluding the schematic design phase and moving next into the design development phase. The project team provided an overview of this information to Council on April 8, 2019.
December 2018
Over the past year, significant work has taken place on advancing the New Westminster Aquatics and Community Centre project.
From February to April 2018, the City of New Westminster led a broad community and stakeholder engagement process to check-in with the community on the proposed program concept for the new facility which is a community-focused aquatic centre that can accommodate competitive training and small-scale competitions. Throughout the engagement process, the community demonstrated strong support for the proposed project and design concept. However, there was also desire from the Hyack Swim Club for an enhanced facility that would support local and regional level swimming competitions.
In June 2018, New Westminster City Council passed a recommendation to pursue two design options for the new facility:
Option 1
A community recreation facility that includes elements such as a leisure aquatics tank, aquatics program tank (which provides some competition hosting and training capabilities), enhanced fitness centre, multipurpose rooms, gymnasium, and childcare facility. This option is consistent with the feedback and results of the community engagement process.
Option 2
A design option that includes all the community recreation components included in option 1 with augmented competition components that include two additional swim lanes, wider deck space, and additional spectator seating. As these additional components would increase the total budget by approximately $10-15 million, this design option is contingent on the City of New Westminster successfully obtaining significant senior Government grant funding.
To help inform and guide the planning of the new facility, an advisory panel has been formed that includes representatives from the community. A call for participants was issued this fall, and panel members will work over the next year to provide feedback to New Westminster Parks and Recreation staff. City staff are also in the midst of preparing an application for a Canada Infrastructure Program grant for community, culture, and recreation facilities which will be submitted in January 2019.
Currently, the project is now in the schematic design phase being conducted by the architectural and design team, HCMA Architecture + Design. This phase involves developing concepts that explore the organization and character of the building in relation to the site and requirements of the program space. Once the schematic design is completed in early 2019, the City will hold public information sessions for the community to review the design to ensure that it reflects the values and principles established at the beginning of the project.
We are very proud of the work achieved to date on the New Westminster Aquatics and Community Centre, and once again, we would like to thank everyone for their input and participation. We look forward to continuing to work with the community on this exciting project as we advance to the construction phase beginning in 2020.
Learn More
- Council Report – June 24, 2019
- Urban Indigenous Engagement Report – June 2019
- Community Engagement Report – June 2019
- 2017 Feasibility Study (PDF – 4.7 MB)
- Engagement Report 2018 (PDF – 3 MB)
- Project at a glance (PDF – 4.4 MB)