STOP THE DEMOLITION OF THE VANCOUVER AQUATIC CENTRE!

There is strong evidence that VAC can be renovated for much less cost to taxpayers and much less downtime than a complete rebuild. Demolishing the building is premature until an assessment of renovation options is complete.

Even if it turns out that a renovation is not possible and a complete rebuild is necessary, the new VAC must include a 50-meter regulation Olympic pool. There is none other in the entire City of Vancouver. Thousands of swimmers rely on it. Much smaller cities have Olympic pools, including Nanaimo, with a population of less than 100,000 on Vancouver Island.

Vancouver Park Board Commissioner Thomas Digby claimed that rebuilding with a 50-meter pool is not possible because a larger footprint would be required, which the province refuses to allow because of unsettled land claims with First Nations. However, Global News reported that Musqueam Chief Wayne Sparrow stated that no meeting to negotiate a solution acceptable to First Nations has happened yet.  Chief Sparrow is open to a meeting. This meeting needs to happen before any demolition occurs.

The Supreme Court of British Columbia recognized that the demolition should be delayed, and did so until November 3rd, 2026, the day after the inaugural meeting of the newly elected Park Board. The City is free to proceed with the demo the next day unless the new Park Board extends the delay at its meeting on November 2nd, 2026.

For these reasons, we make the reasonable request that the newly elected Vancouver Park Board commissioners pass a resolution on November 2nd, 2026 delaying the demolition of the VAC until a review of renovation options is made and a meeting is arranged with First Nations.