New Westminster – New Westminster Parks and Recreation is pleased to announce that arrangements have now been finalized to relocate aquatic and fitness programs and services that were discontinued as a result of the decommissioning of the Canada Games Pool. The Canada Games Pool Fitness Centre will be moved to the Centennial Community Centre gymnasium and existing programs that were offered at the gymnasium will be relocated to nearby locations in the community. Additionally, the City’s outdoor pool season will be extended. Moody Park Outdoor Pool will open April 23, 2022 and Hume Park Outdoor Pool will open June 30, 2022. Both pools will remain open until October 10, 2022 and will offer lane swimming, swimming lessons, leisure swims and Aquafit.

“Staff have been working diligently over the past two months developing plans to ensure aquatic and fitness services can continue to be offered,” said Mayor Jonathan Coté. “I know all decisions were made with great consideration of the input and feedback received from program participants, community members, and recreation staff. I am confident the temporary solutions that have been put in place will serve our community well until we open the doors of təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre in 2023.”

Beginning February 14, 2022, group fitness programs that were previously held in the Centennial Community Centre gymnasium will be relocated to either Centennial Lodge in Queen’s Park, Century House, or the River Room at Centennial Community Centre. Pickleball will move to the École Herbert Spencer Elementary School gymnasium on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The fitness centre is expected to open in early March once electrical infrastructure and inspections are complete. Full details on program relocation can be found at newwestcity.ca/fitness

“I want to thank the community for their patience and understanding while our recreation team worked to find the best possible solutions to accommodate our programs following the devastating loss of our largest public serving facility,” said Dean Gibson, Director of New Westminster Parks and Recreation. “These new arrangements enable programs to be resumed that were highly utilized and valued by the community and allow us to welcome back many of our fitness and aquatic staff.”

Following the decision to decommission the Canada Games Pool, Parks and Recreation engaged the community to seek feedback on extending the outdoor pool season. The survey results spoke clearly to a community preference to extend the operating season with 83% of respondents indicating they would attend a swim program should Moody Park Outdoor Pool open in mid-April. In response to survey feedback, staff will be exploring options to include semi-permanent tent structures to provide cover and shelter for the public and staff.

Canada Games Pool has been closed since September 2021 and decommissioning started in November as a result of flooding in the facility’s mechanical room and a leak discovered in the main pool tank. Canada Games Pool was previously scheduled to be decommissioned in August 2023 as part of the təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre construction project. For more information on this project, please visit www.youractivenw.ca

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Media Contacts:

Ashleigh Young
Communications Officer
City of New Westminster
604-527-4559 or