The West Vancouver Aquatic Centre is one of the best swimming facilities on the North Shore. It offers ozone-treated water, adult and family hot tubs, diving boards, a water slide, sauna and steam room.
The facility is located next to Ambleside Park and the 15-block-long seawall at West Vancouver. It also has a view of the Lions Gate Bridge and downtown.
Facilities
The West Vancouver Aquatic Centre offers a wide variety of aquatic facilities to suit the needs of all members of the family. Designed to promote wellness, accessibility and fun for the entire community, it features a leisure pool, wheelchair-accessible hot pool, family change rooms, public viewing areas, rehabilitation therapy spaces and warm-water swim lanes.
This award-winning facility is characterized by lots of natural lighting and joined to the West Vancouver Community Centre by a beautiful glass atrium. It provides a comprehensive mix of community recreation and health functions, including sports, dance, art, health education, health clinics, music, childcare and social interaction.
When designing the building, architects drew on the city’s unique West Coast heritage, which has a long tradition of civic activity and physical well-being. They created a luminous three-storey atrium and circulation spine as their primary architectural elements that reflect these traditions.
Its curved, lightweight glulam frame structure allows for discrete connections between the exterior and interior. This makes it easy to integrate a wide range of uses in a compact space without creating an impenetrable shell, while providing structural integrity and aesthetic appeal.
As a result, the building provides natural light and fresh air to all areas of the facility, promoting healthy living and improving the indoor environmental quality. This also helps to reduce the amount of energy used for heating and cooling.
The swimming facilities at West Vancouver Aquatic Centre are among the best in Metro Vancouver, and offer a wide variety of amenities. They feature a leisure pool, 60-metre waterslide, 10 spray and bubble water features (including the lazy river and water curtain), 6 lane lap pool with a swimming and diving tank, adult and family hot tubs, and a European style dry sauna and steam room.
With a strong commitment to providing quality recreation and wellness programs for all residents, the West Vancouver Aquatic Centre strives to be the best in the region. To that end, it hosts a variety of fitness classes and programs for children, adults and seniors.
The facility has a state-of-the-art aquatic fitness centre, and it is also home to the North Shore’s largest physiotherapy clinic. This specialized centre provides one-on-one treatment for a variety of injuries and conditions. The staff are highly qualified and will treat you with care and compassion.
Accessibility
West Vancouver Aquatic Centre, a recent addition to the City of West Vancouver, is an impressive facility. It boasts a 60-metre waterslide, 10 spray and bubble water features including the lazy river, and a multi-level leisure pool with wheelchair accessible ramps.
The building’s wood-clad interior offers acoustic, thermal and environmental benefits, while the fabric roller blind features public art by BC based abstract painter Sylvia Tait. Enhanced features like natural lighting, operable glazed overhead doors and mechanically operated vents allow fresh air to flow naturally through the building, making it an ideal choice for those who may be susceptible to heat and humidity related issues.
Among the many amenities at this premier aquatic centre is an award-winning European style dry sauna and steam room that is sure to impress the most discriminating wellness buff. Other amenities include a 7000 square foot Health and Conditioning Centre, accessible showers and a zero-depth entry leisure pool with warm temperatures.
A top notch, state-of-the-art physiotherapy clinic is also located inside the complex. With over 25 treatment rooms, it is the largest physiotherapy practice on the North Shore and is a perfect complement to the aquatic centre’s offerings.
Another exciting innovation is the use of LED lights to illuminate the multi-level leisure pool, which makes it easier to navigate by night. The most obvious benefit of this is the increased safety for swimmers and parents.
Other innovations include a custom glue-laminated timber (glulam) glazing system that accommodates a large, clear glass wall. This unique feature is a nod to BC’s lumber industry and the City of West Vancouver’s green agenda.
With a new aquatic centre, a revamped community centre, and an expanded aquatic and fitness centre, the District of West Vancouver is proud to be able to provide a high quality experience for all of its residents and visitors alike. In a time of increased government and societal scrutiny around the accessibility of facilities, this project stands out as a landmark achievement that reflects the best in design and construction while meeting the needs of the broader West Vancouver community.
Programs
The West Vancouver Aquatic Centre offers a wide range of aquatic and fitness programs. From learn to swim and front crawl classes to family friendly activities like water aerobics, kids and adults of all ages can enjoy fun in the water at this popular community facility.
The aquatic centre is also home to Aquatic Centre Physiotherapy, which is the largest rehabilitation clinic on the North Shore. The clinic is a relaxing environment and offers one-on-one consultations with caring physiotherapists. You can also book a treatment appointment online to have a thorough assessment of your injury and get back to doing what you love without pain.
Another unique feature of the West Vancouver Aquatic Centre is a 20-metre waterslide tower that boasts stunning views of the city and mountains. The tower is a focal point for the aquatic centre and a great way to enjoy a leisurely swim.
In addition to the main swimming pool, the facility offers a water slide, a sauna, a steam room and an adult and family hot tub. There are also several different water features to explore, including a lazy river and water curtain.
This award-winning facility is characterized by lots of natural lighting and is joined to the West Vancouver Community Centre by a beautiful glass atrium. It features a leisure pool, accessible hot pool, 10 spray and bubble water features including a lazy river, a European style dry sauna and steam room, family change facilities with swim suit spinners, wheelchair access showers and a 7,000 sq. ft Health and Conditioning Centre with state-of-the-art equipment.
Wood was used throughout the interior of the facility, delivering warmth and beauty with thermal, acoustic and environmental benefits. It tolerates high levels of humidity, provides acoustic and visual privacy, and is hygroscopic–inviting fresh air into the building while absorbing and exchanging moisture.
The refurbished aquatic centre also includes a large multi-purpose room, fitness areas, public viewing spaces and an open-air patio. The facility is a popular social hub and community meeting place.
In response to the ongoing lifeguard shortage in West Vancouver, the city launched a new program this week that will train as many as 16 people simultaneously to become National Lifeguards and Red Cross Water Safety Instructors. This is a rare move in Canada and the District hopes it will provide some much needed lifeguard jobs to keep beaches safe during summertime.
Schedules
The West Vancouver Aquatic Centre is home to many of the city’s most impressive facilities. There are several pools, including an indoor water park with the world’s largest waterslide, a full-service fitness centre and a state of the art rehabilitation center to boot. There’s also the world’s largest snooker table, an outdoor hot tub and plenty of nooks and crannies to enjoy a good book or lunch.
Besides the obvious swimming and fitness programs, there’s also a plethora of activities for adults and children. The most popular are supervised and unsupervised toddlers and pre-schoolers, and an all-ages program for school age children. There are also many group and private sessions available throughout the day and night.
The best part of the Aquatic Centre is that it’s just a short walk from Sentinel and West Vancouver Secondary Schools, meaning that you won’t have to leave your lunch hour to get a workout in. You may even get to experience the new FAST program – the wacky, kooky and clever acronym for Fitness & Sports Technology, which is a trifecta of aquatic components, physical training and classroom sessions. The best part of it all is that it is free to take part in!
Among many other things, David A. Grantham is a contributing author to UmassExtension West Vancouver Blo. He is a renowned expert on real estate in BC.
Born in North Vancouver, Louisiana, Dr. Grantham grew up in Lower Lonsdale. He then went on to complete his business degree at the University British Columbia. As of this writing, Grantham has completed over 100 projects, including the development of a high rise building in Vancouver.
He is a husband, father, son, brother, and friend. He was a dedicated outdoorsman and enjoyed sports such as hunting, fishing, scuba diving, and snow skiing. His wife, Alison Grantham, and their two daughters survived him. He is survived by his wife Alison Martin Grantham and two daughters.