Aquatics centre repurposing

With construction for Vernon’s Active Living Centre underway, the City of Vernon is engaging with the community on what to do with the current Vernon Aquatic Centre.

Gary Lefebvre, aquatics manager, and Shayne Wright, emergency management acting manager, brought key findings from a recent Vernon Aquatic Centre re-purposing study to city council at the Sept. 23 meeting.

Main goals of the study were to complete a needs assessment for the community, look at feasible activities to do in the complex and to come up with three design options to bring to council, including cost estimates.

The city has been gathering residents' opinions through online surveys and conversations with different representatives from various user groups.

“It allows us to start the discussion of what are some of those things that could be done in the aquatic centre as it exists,” said Lefebvre during the meeting.

Some ideas for new uses of the aquatic centre include converting it into a trampoline park, ninja gym and climbing gym.

Lefebvre said the building is structurally sound, but repurposing is somewhat limited due to the current floor space and surrounding riparian area.

"There are some items that do need immediate dressings, such as the roofing, the cedar shingles around the outside, but it is structurally sound and quite viable for repurposing for at least a 20 year," said Lefebvre.

Results of community surveys and engagement sessions will be brought to the council at a Committee of the Whole meeting on Oct. 7. A finalized assessment will be brought to the council on Nov. 25.