New Westminster says final goodbye to Canada Games Pool
After nearly 50 years in operation, the Canada Games Pool in New Westminster, B.C. is being demolished, and visitors were invited to tour the facility for the last time on Saturday.
Flooding in the facility's mechanical room in September 2021 prompted the early decommissioning of the pool, said city staff.
"The significant cost, extensive work required, and an estimated timeline of approximately 8 months to complete were all contributing factors to the decision to not proceed with repairs to the facility," said the city in a release.
The pool's closure was originally scheduled for August 2023 before the opening of the new təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre.
A walk down memory lane
The public was welcomed to the facility for the last time Saturday with a family-friendly event featuring crafts, gift giveaways, and an opportunity to take final pictures in front of the drained pool.
Lisa and Don Ocampo came for the tour with their 12-year-old son Dominic, who learned to swim at the pool.
"It's a really tight community and this is kind of the heart of it," said Lisa Ocampo. "It's such a fun building and we wanted to see it before it's gone."
More than 700 people came to the pool on Saturday, said Dean Gibson, director of parks, culture and recreation at the City of New Westminster.
When it opened in 1973, the Canada Games Pool was considered a state-of-the-art facility capable of hosting world-class competitions.
The facility was funded in part by federal funding to the city of New Westminster, for hosting the 1973 Canada Summer Games in partnership with the Municipality of Burnaby.
"The decision to close Canada Games Pool permanently was an incredibly difficult decision for City Council to make. While we knew this facility would close in the near future, these certainly aren't the circumstances in which we wanted to say goodbye," said Mayor Jonathan Coté in a statement.
"The legacy of Canada Games Pool will always live on through the many fond memories our community holds of their time at this beloved facility."
The təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre is scheduled to open late 2023.
