On Saturday, October 15, 2022, Vernonites voted in favour of borrowing and constructing a new Active Living Centre that will include new swimming pools, gymnasium, fitness centre, and walking/running track. For more information provided by the City of Vernon, residents can learn more by going to the official website at https://www.engagevernon.ca/activelivingcentre.
Where will the Active Living Centre be constructed?
- Within the newly designated Kin Race Track Athletic Park, at the south end near Kal Tire Place on 43rd
- The Active Living Centre is not part of that project and can be can be constructed and opened before the completion of the park.
- The Kin Race Track Athletic Park will be developed as a year-round outdoor athletic park and will include: outdoor sports fields; indoor and outdoor ice surfaces; recreational trails; a dog park; and natural wetland trails.
What are the included amenities?
- A new aquatic centre that features
- 50m x 8 lane pool with 2 movable bulkheads
- Leisure pool with warmer water, play features, accessible entry, and 3 x 25m lanes
- Steam room and sauna
- Hot tubs
- Pool support areas (i.e. change rooms, storage, spectator seating)
- Double gymnasium with multiple sport courts
- 150m synthetic walking/running track
- 80-station fitness centre
- Dedicated multi-purpose program spaces
Why does Vernon need this?
Age of current facilities:
- The original Vernon Aquatic Centre opened in 1966 and was renovated in 1993.
- Upgrades have been made over time which means the facility has a mix of infrastructure from the late 60’s and through each decade
Population growth
- The fall/winter 2022 Learn to Swim programs currently have 1,220 kids registered but another 660 kids are on wait lists.
- The two existing public gymnasiums (Dogwood Gym and Priest Valley gym) are used at near capacity for programs such as volleyball leagues, drop-in sports for youth and adults, camps, afterschool programs, and playschool activities. The new double gymnasium would significantly increase the amount of gym space available.
The Aquatic Centre
The 50m pool will feature two movable bulkheads that can separate the pool into a variety of configurations (e.g., 2 x 25m sections or 3 sections of varying size, such as 12.5m, 12.5m, 25m). This would allow for the different areas to offer various types of aquatic programming at the same time(i.e., swim lessons, aquatic exercises, and lane swimming).
Because of the ability to offer multiple programs simultaneously, it’s anticipated that Learn to Swim program capacity would be able to increase.
A warm water leisure pool will have familiar features such as slides, interactive sprays, bubblers.
The warm water leisure pool area will also include an additional 25m lane section that could also be used for programs like preschool swim lessons.
Other play opportunities may include a rock-climbing wall, water walking mat, and rope swing, along with more dynamic portable amenities such as floating Wibit or Ninjacross course that can be used on a rotational basis.
The aquatic centre will not include permanent fixed amenities such as a wave pool or wave rider, which tend to lose public appeal after time and can be expensive to maintain. The focus instead is to include primarily portable play features that allow versatility for aquatic programming and hosting 25m and 50m swim competitions.
The Fitness Activities
Double gymnasium with multiple sport courts and possible partition wall to create smaller, more versatile spaces.
A 150m walking/running track, which would be located above the gymnasium, would offer participants Vernon’s first indoor synthetic walking surface.
An 80-station fitness centre would feature cardio equipment, resistance machines and free weights, and dedicated multi-purpose program spaces that could accommodate various activities such as fitness classes, courses, and children’s programming.
When will the new Active Living Centre be built?
The design and construction phases are outlined:
- Fall 2022: project RFP process to begin
- Spring 2023: final planning and design phase to begin
- Spring/Summer 2024: construction of the facility to begin
- Fall 2026: construction to be completed and facility to open
The final design phase beginning Spring 2023 is expected to take a full year to complete and will include additional public engagement to help determine design elements such as aquatic play features.
For more info on this new facility, please visit https://www.engagevernon.ca/activelivingcentre.
