British ColumbiaAmid a flurry of decisions about major pool repairs and replacements in municipalities across B.C., councillors in the City of Courtenay have voted to replace its aging outdoor pool at an estimated cost of $32.5 million. Mayor hopes the regional district will take on the facility, as it does with the region’s indoor poolsMaryse Zeidler · CBC News · Posted: Nov 24, 2025 4:56 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 Courtenay and District Memorial Outdoor Pool has reached the end of its lifespan and is in need of major repairs, according to city staff. (City of Courtenay)Amid a flurry of decisions about major pool repairs and replacements in municipalities across B.C., councillors in the City of Courtenay have voted to replace its aging outdoor pool at an estimated cost of $32.5 million.Courtenay Mayor Bob Wells says councillors made the unanimous decision after extensive public consultation indicated an overwhelming amount of support for a new facility. “Lots of people really engaged in this process,” Wells told All Points West host Jason D’Souza. “They really wanted to keep an outdoor pool.”City staff presented councillors with three options: to repair, renovate or replace the outdoor pool, which was built in 1949 and is in need of critical repairs. LISTEN | Bob Wells speaks about pool decision:All Points West7:04Courtenay votes to replace outdoor poolCourtenay Mayor Bob Wells on the city’s decision to replace its outdoor pool at a cost of more than $32 million.A staff report says repairing the pool would have cost $5.2 million, but only lasted five years.Renovating the pool would have cost $14.4 million and would have lasted up to 20 years, according to staff. Replacing the pool was the most expensive option, at $32.5 million, but ot would last up to 75 years. The report says 62 per cent of respondents voted to replace the pool. Read more stories from Vancouver Island“With the new pool, the replace option, we’re also looking to increase it by a third in size as well,” Wells said. “More people will actually be able to enjoy the pool in the summertime, which is really the feedback we heard loud and clear.”Need vs. costCourtenay’s decision comes at a time when municipalities across B.C. have been struggling to decide how to balance the desire for aquatic facilities and the sizeable cost that comes with maintaining them.The City of Vancouver has been struggling for years with how to handle costly repairs to the iconic Kitsilano Pool, which has similarly reached the end of its lifespan.WATCH | City of Vancouver seeks input on future of Kitsilano Pool:City of Vancouver seeks public input on future of aging Kitsilano PoolThe City of Vancouver is asking for public opinion as it plans for the future of Kitsilano Pool, which it says has reached the “end of its life”. CBC’s Sohrab Sandhu spoke with pool users about the changes they’d like to see.In the Regional District of Nanaimo, an alternate approval process for the Ravensong Aquatic Centre expansion failed last April when residents voted against spending $30 million to renovate the facility. Many expressed concerns about the cost, and rising municipal taxes. Last year, councillors in the Village of Cache Creek voted to permanently close the local outdoor pool.Cache Creek Mayor John Ranta says he believes the community should have invested in a new facility, but he was outvoted. “I believe that many of the young people and adults in the community enjoyed having the pool available to them,” Ranta said.“They are expensive. There’s no question about it. But we afforded it for 50 years, and I think we could still afford to operate the pool.”Ranta says the community is split on the decision, with some opposed to the cost of the pool and others valuing the recreational opportunities it offered.Feeling the financial pressureFor the City of Courtenay, council’s decision about the pool comes amid a long battle on how to find the funds to build it. Wells says the city is hoping to bring the outdoor pool in line with the other aquatic facilities in the area, which are managed and paid for by the Comox Valley Regional District. Each municipality in the district contributes financially to the region’s indoor pools. Wells hopes that model would work for the outdoor pool as well. LISTEN | Why two island pool projects have taken at least a decade to happen:On The Island10:57Why two island pool projects have taken at least a decade to happenNext month, Victoria residents will vote in a referendum about whether to replace Crystal Pool. It’s a conversation that’s been underway for at least a decade. In Campbell River, the Strathcona Gardens pool replacement construction started last fall, also after a decade of work. CBC Victoria’s Kathryn Marlow talks about the projects, and their prolonged timelines.“I’m not oblivious to the fact that there’s a lot of pressure financially,” he said.“If the regional district agreed to that, then that would sort of change what the cost would be — because we’d be spreading it over all of the people that live in the Comox Valley, not just Courtenay residents.” Wells says the first steps in the project will be to confirm the project’s costs, before going to the district. The earliest work would start on the new facility would likely be in 2028. ABOUT THE AUTHORMaryse Zeidler is an award-winning reporter who covers news from Nanaimo and north Vancouver Island. Have a news tip? You can reach her at maryse.zeidler@cbc.ca.With files from All Points West
Courtenay councillors vote to replace outdoor pool despite estimated $32.5M price tag
