It doesn’t look like there will be a replacement for the Winskill Aquatic and Fitness Centre in Tsawwassen, but upgrades to the current facility are planned.
At a virtual town hall meeting with Mayor George Harvie recently, Parks, Recreation and Culture director Carmen Gonzalez said a facility study has been undertaken and it was determined a replacement could be cost prohibitive.
She noted staff have been looking at what’s more feasible and the needs of the current centre, noting the pool is in good condition, but other aspects of the facility need investment to extend the useful life of the centre.
The department is also looking at the future of the annex building and how to replace that space.
A number of options will be explored as part of further cost analysis next year and staff will also have discussions with council regarding the community’s long-term needs.
Harvie noted they will talk with user groups and assure them changes will not be happening anytime soon.
“There will be contingencies made at the right time insofar as where we could relocate the swim clubs during the period of time the facility would be closed, but again, it’s very early and we, first of all, have to get council approval for the final design and, of course, the cost,” said Harvie. “I look forward to working on that and it’s now time the South Delta community, through Winskill Park, receive a building that’s going to be more modern, up-to-date and more serviceable, and one that will hopefully attract more users.”
The parks department is currently working on coming up with a new long-term vision document for parks, recreation and culture services in the city.
Identifying a series of short, medium and long-term goals, a previous strategic work plan by the department three years ago noted two significant building projects are identified in the approved Winskill Park Master Plan.
One is the creation of a new, multi-generational community centre to replace the KinVillage Community Centre.
For the final step of the master plan, detailed planning and design needs to be undertaken to replace the Winskill Aquatic and Fitness Centre with a new aquatic and fitness centre, that document noted.
The placement of the new building would enable the existing facility to continue operations while the new aquatic and fitness facility is constructed, presumably attached to the new community centre.
The estimated cost of both new facilities at the time was approximately $85 million.
