For folks who expected to cannonball into Kitsilano Pool this summer, it has been a Cedar Rapids Log Flume ride of emotions. It’s been sort of reminiscent of when Michael Scott spoke about his numerous vasectomies on The Office: ” Snip snap, snip snap, snip snap!”
In April, the City of Vancouver told Daily Hive the pool would open in May; however, once May came, we learned there was a delay, but the pool would still open. Then, exactly one month ago, we were informed that it would not open at all this year. That was followed by talks of crowd-funding and sponsorship to build a new pool, and the whole thing felt like we’d be pool-less forever.
Now, there’s been a surprising announcement regarding the fate of Kitsilano Pool, and swimmers in the city will want to take note.
The City of Vancouver held a special press conference at the site of the beachside pool today, which Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim teased as “big news.”
Amir Ali/Daily Hive
The wait is over, and we know what that big news is.
Kits Pool will actually be opening this summer, after all. Pending no major setbacks, the date for reopening is August 7.
The previous announcement that the Vancouver Park Board-run facility wouldn’t open this year disappointed many in the Kits community as its unique 137-metre length made it an ideal spot for long-distance swims and wading alike. The reasons were blamed on the 2018 damage that left it leaking 30,000 litres of water an hour and the ongoing health and safety risks associated with that.
Eric Buermeyer/Shutterstock
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim, along with several city councillors, announced Friday that he and the City “never gave up” on getting the pool reopened.
“Almost every single Vancouverite has a memory of Kits Pool,” the mayor said Friday. “These memories are part of our city’s fabric.”
Repairs will now be done to extend the pool’s lifespan by two years while the plans for a new facility are developed.
Sim highlighted that this short-term fix is thanks to engineer Jeff Stibbart, who he secured to provide pro-bono advice to “ensure the pool’s timely reopening this summer.”
The City said the short-term solutions will cost approximately $3 million, and it is still examining ways to fund the long-term project.