ManitobaIt took 2½ years and nearly $10 million worth of major renovations, but the work is done and the ribbon was cut Wednesday to reopen Winnipeg’s Bonivital Pool.’This facility is shaping and will continue to shape generations’: Coun. Matt AllardCBC News · Posted: Nov 19, 2025 2:14 PM EST | Last Updated: 1 hour agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Mayor Scott Gillingham, left, and councillors Vivian Santos and Matt Allard cut the ribbon to reopen Bonivital Pool. (Adam Yadaoui/Radio-Canada)It took 2½ years and nearly $10 million worth of major renovations, but the work is done and the ribbon was cut Wednesday to formally reopen Winnipeg’s Bonivital Pool. “This facility has been an important part of the community life in St. Boniface and St. Vital for decades, and these renovations ensure it will continue to be an important facility for generations to come,” Mayor Scott Gillingham said at the reopening ceremony.”Thank you to the community for your patience. Closing a facility for any length of time is a real disruption to staying active in life.”The pool on Archibald Street near Cottonwood Road was built in 1975, and many of its components had reached the end of their expected life, the city said in a news release.It closed in May 2024 for the following work:Accessibility upgrades in the front lobby, including new universal and gendered change rooms.A new accessible sauna and multipurpose room incorporated into the open pool deck area.Upgrades to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), water heating system and air handling unit.Upgrades to the lighting system, fire alarm system and power distribution to support the upgraded mechanical system.The project cost was approximately $9.88 million, with $5.36 million from the city and $4.52 million from the province.The pool officially reopened to swimmers on Monday, but the sauna and slide remain temporarily unavailable, the city’s website for the pool said.Bonivital Pool was built in 1975. (Google Street View)”This pool is close to my heart. It really tempered me. It forged me,” said Coun. Matt Allard, whose ward is St. Boniface.He earned his bronze medallion at Bonivital, a lifesaving certification that serves as the first step toward becoming a lifeguard or swim instructor.”That certification taught me discipline, taught me endurance. It taught me respect for water. It taught me how to save lives,” Allard said.”And now my children are entering these waters. This facility is shaping and will continue to shape generations.”Mayor Scott Gillingham speaks at the Bonivital Pool reopening on Wednesday as councillors Matt Allard and Vivian Santos listen. (Adam Yadaoui/Radio-Canada)The city is wading through the challenge of numerous aging civic facilities.”The work that has been done here is part of a long-term strategy to renew our network of aquatic facilities across Winnipeg,” Gillingham said. “Many of our pools and wading pools were built 40-50 years ago. “They’re well-loved but they need major investment.”A major expansion is underway at St. James Civic Centre, which closed in mid-June this year and is expected to reopen in fall 2026. It also shut down in April 2020 for critical upgrades and reopened in September 2022.Renovations will also soon begin on the main tank at Seven Oaks Pool, which will close Dec. 14. The $3.5-million fix is expected to take 12-14 months.The kiddie pool and splash pad will remain open during those renovations, except for a six-week period. The dates for that have not yet been determined.The Windsor Park outdoor pool in St. Boniface, which had been threatened with closure, will remain open until a new outdoor aquatic facility opens, Gillingham said on Wednesday.It’s the second reprieve for that pool, which was allowed to continue for the 2024 and 2025 seasons. It will now stay functioning a little longer.”Date to be determined, but that’s the plan at this point,” Gillingham said.Another outdoor pool in St. Boniface — Happyland — was closed in 2023 and demolished this year.
Bonivital Pool reopens after $9.8M renovation that kept it closed for 2.5 years
