British ColumbiaThe Vancouver Aquatic Centre has been closed indefinitely after a chunk of concrete fell from the ceiling into the main pool on Monday, renewing safety concerns at the aging West End landmark.Monday incident adds to long-running safety concerns and debate over future of aging West End facilityCBC News · Posted: Nov 07, 2025 8:33 PM EST | Last Updated: 2 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.The aging Vancouver Aquatic Centre is closed again after part of the ceiling fell this week. (Karin Larsen/CBC)Regular swimmer Colin Griffith was midway through his laps at the Vancouver Aquatic Centre (VAC) on Monday when he spotted something on the bottom of the next lane.“I had been there for about half an hour or so doing my usual routine when I just noticed, suddenly in the middle of the pool in the lane right next to me, there was a small pile of what looked like concrete, rubble and gravel on the bottom of the pool,” he said.Griffith says the pool wasn’t busy, with only a handful of swimmers in the water — but the sight of debris was still unsettling.“It’s a bit unnerving, especially because it’s not the first time it’s happened. It’s a known issue,” he said. Part of the front wall of the Vancouver Aquatic Centre is pictured after it collapsed in March 2022. Monday’s closure is just the latest for the facility in the West End. (Ben Nelms/CBC)The VAC is now closed indefinitely after the debris fall on Monday, in what is the latest in a series of structural problems at the West End facility.The City of Vancouver confirmed a “small piece of concrete” had fallen from the ceiling into one of the swim lanes.It says it’s working with a structural engineer on a “thorough assessment” of the building, and the closure would last until that work is complete.No patrons or staff were injured.The Vancouver Aquatic Centre, seen here earlier this February, has faced multiple closures over the last few years alone. (Maggie MacPherson/CBC)Latest closureLast year, two large sections inside the VAC were closed to patrons and swimmers after a piece of concrete fell from the ceiling, and a number of acoustic panels were found to be loose.A statement from the city at the time said the concrete fell in the pool area, likely as a result of maintenance being done on the building’s exterior.The statement had said it was determined that there were no structural concerns due to that incident.In 2022, a three-metre-by-10-metre section of the outside wall above the entrance doors fell off the building when the centre was closed.And in 2015, flooding in the mechanical room took out the electrical system.“It does kind of make you nervous about being in the building if it just continues to happen,” said Griffith.The Vancouver Aquatic Centre is pictured closed in July 2020. (Ben Nelms/CBC)Controversy over renewal and pool sizeWhen it opened in 1974, the VAC was a sporting showpiece with a beach location in the densely-populated West End. It remains in high demand by swimming, synchro, water polo and diving clubs for training and competitions. It also hosts a slew of recreation programs and swimming lessons.But, now more than 50 years old, the pool has seen better days.The city and Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation say they are moving ahead with a renewal of the aquatic centre, with funding set aside in the 2023–26 capital plan and construction anticipated to begin in late 2026. Staff say they will continue to monitor the building and any new findings from the current assessment will be considered into that work.The Vancouver Aquatic Centre replacement project calls for the 50-metre pool that exists currently to be replaced with a pool half the size. (Karin Larsen/CBC)But changes to the current pool have been controversial. A $175-million proposal would overhaul the building and replace the existing 50-metre Olympic-sized tank with a smaller pool, a plan officials have said is driven by space and design constraints on the waterfront site.Competitive swimmers and a group called Protecting Our Vancouver Aquatic Centre Society argue the city should commit to a full 50-metre pool in the renewal, warning a shorter tank would undermine the facility’s role as a high-performance training hub. The group are in the process of launching a legal challenge in an effort to force changes to the plan.WATCH | Swimmers take fight for 50-metre pool to B.C.’s top court:Swimmers take fight for 50-metre pool to B.C.’s top courtA group of swimmers continues to push for a 50-metre, Olympic-sized pool at the Vancouver Aquatic Centre, and are taking it to B.C. Supreme Court. The director of Protecting Our Vancouver Aquatic Centre Society, Jon Girard, says the issue was not handled correctly and believes bylaws were broken.In the meantime, Griffith says this latest disruption adds to the frustration of swimmers who don’t have other options nearby.“I don’t think I’ll be able to swim for a while while the aquatic centre is closed.”With files from Karin Larsen and Shaurya Kshatri
Piece of concrete falls into pool at Vancouver Aquatic Centre again
