New court case filed against controversial Vancouver Aquatic Centre renewal

Good morning,

Nate with you today. I really believe one of the Lookout’s biggest strengths is our readers — how engaged, curious, and thoughtful you all are. We strive to reflect the perspectives and passion of Vancouverites (whether readers or not), and having a direct line to 28,000+ of you is invaluable for that mission. 

With that in mind, we’re looking for your stories about condo living, particularly in the teensy tiny kind. Do you own or live in a small condo? Growing your family and need a bigger place? Having a hard time selling your unit? Live in a micro place and love it? 

If you have a story or perspective you’d like to share, we want to hear from you for an upcoming article! You can send those to me at [email protected], and I’ll get you in touch with one of our regular freelancers who’s putting the piece together. 

Thanks as always to all of you for your generosity of attention and spirit in spending time with us every week and contributing to our community. 

With that, let’s get to today’s story about a new grassroots legal effort challenging the city and park board. 

— Nate Lewis, Vancity Lookout

As always, you can send your tips, leads, and story ideas to Nate at [email protected].

PS - If you find this newsletter valuable, please consider forwarding it to your friends. New to the Lookout? Sign-up for free. 

WEATHER

Friday: 26 🌡️ 18 | ☀️

Saturday: 27 🌡️ 19 | ☀️

Sunday: 27 🌡️ 17 | ☀️

Monday: 26 🌡️ 17 | ☀️

THE LOOKOUT RECOMMENDS

Street shutdown: No accident here, just a good time over at Granville and Robson. The streets around there will be shut down on Saturday and Sunday for the Granville Block Party. It'll be a good time with live music, a market, and kids’ events. But make sure to get enough water and shade! It’ll be sunny with temps in the high 20s. 

Old and new: I was reminded recently while passing by Kingsway and Fraser that Sal y Limón is no longer there because of a new development. A few times I’d finish up a bike ride through Richmond and divert out there to grab a taco and a banh mi next door. Luckily for all of us taco fans, they’ve moved up the hill to 6196 Fraser. ​​

Wine lovers unite: As I write this, I worry all the spots will be taken. But if you like wine and good food, Botanist is hosting a pair of events exploring Champagne, as well as one hosted by one of Australia’s most celebrated producers. Tickets are expensive, but this is worth checking out if wine’s your thing.

— Geoff Sharpe, Lookout managing editor

Island party: Granville Island has always seemed like a perfect place for nightlife, being a hub of arts and culture and an area without housing. There’s been a taste of what that can look like lately, as Island management has collaborated with a local promoter and a nearby restaurant to throw a weekly dance party under the bridge. It’s a ticketed event, but folks can also hang out in the car-free street right outside and catch the tunes and vibe for free.

 — Nate Lewis, Vancity Lookout reporter

POOLS

New court case filed against controversial Vancouver Aquatic Centre renewal

While the Vancouver Aquatic Centre (VAC) sits empty and drained for its annual month of maintenance, a small group of advocates are going to the courts — escalating their dispute with the city and park board over the decision not to include a 50-metre pool in the planned redevelopment of the facility. 

It’s a familiar playbook: a newly-formed society made up of interested residents launches a court case against local government, arguing that elected officials ruled unfairly against their cause. 

Similar cases include the SPPS petition for judicial review regarding tree removals in Stanley Park, which has yet to get a court date, and the Kits Coalition’s successful litigation against the city over a supportive housing development near Arbutus and Broadway. 

The non-profit Protecting Our Vancouver Aquatic Centre Society was formed this summer as a strategic move to fundraise for a court challenge, managing director Jon Girard told Vancity Lookout. 

“We're able to be transparent with the public in a way that we just wouldn't necessarily be able to do otherwise,” Girard said. A GoFundMe campaign started in late July to support the society’s legal fight has raised nearly $20,000 so far. 

There are many people who support the society’s cause. A public petition for a 50m pool gained nearly 16,000 signatures, with petition organizers holding protests outside the VAC and City Hall. 

The case, a petition filed on August 18 asking the BC Supreme Court for a judicial review, alleges that the city and park board acted in bad faith and violated their democratic mandate concerning the 2022 plebiscite, in addition to other allegations of fraud and secret communications. 

One of the ballot questions in the 2022 municipal election plebiscite asked whether voters authorized the city to borrow just over $160 million to renew two community facilities over the next three years, including $103 million “for replacement, renewal or rehabilitation,” of the VAC. Just over two-thirds of voters voted yes, meaning the projects were approved by taxpayers. 

In the lead-up to the fall 2022 election, the city shared a detailed document with specific information about many of those projects. The document outlined the context, proposal, costs, and funding needs for the renewal of various aging amenities and infrastructure around the city, including for the VAC. 

In that document, the city said the proposed plan to renew the VAC, if approved by voters, was to “plan, design and start construction on the first phase, focusing on the renewal of the 50m lap pool and diving pool,” between 2023 and 2026. 

In their petition, the society argues that this constitutes a binding commitment for the city and park board to use the voter-approved funds to build a 50-metre pool. 

The city document explicitly ties the borrowing questions to specific projects, including the VAC renewal.

“If the borrowing questions are approved by a majority of voters, projects that renew aging amenities and infrastructure, including… renewal of the Vancouver Aquatic Centre… would be able to proceed,” according to the document. 

The document goes on to warn that, “if the borrowing questions are not approved by a majority of voters, these renewal projects would have to be deferred, reduced in scope, or cancelled altogether.”

The document was made available at community centers, recreation facilities, libraries, on the city’s website, and through its Van311 portal, Girard said. 

City staff were not able to respond by the time of publication to Vancity Lookout’s questions, including its position on the relationship between the ballot questions and the document, how the document was distributed, and approximately how many voters accessed it. 

In its petition, the society is also challenging the decision by Park Board Chair Scott Jensen to limit the total time for public speakers on the VAC renewal plan to one hour at the board’s March 31 meeting. The decision came after the high volume of speakers forced the board to extend the initial discussion over two meetings in late February. 

“We know how you feel about this issue,” Commissioner Scott Jensen said to the speakers who had spoken at the previous meetings. Of the 55 speakers registered at the March 31 meeting, the board voted to prioritize those who had not spoken at the previous meeting. 

“We want to make a point of ensuring that those others get a chance to speak and that this decision is concluded this evening,” Jensen said. 

However, Girard pointed out that Jensen’s decision to cap the overall speaking time “didn't consider the fact that everyone who wanted to speak had [a month] to consider new options. They had new facts to present, new reasons, any of which could have actually swayed a commissioner's decision,” on whether to approve the 25-metre option. 

The society’s petition calls Jensen’s decision a “serious procedural fairness violation.” The park board’s procedure bylaws state that a speaker “may not speak… more than once. " However, it seems that would not apply in this case, given that this was a different meeting, with new information being presented by staff.

Following the March meeting, Girard also made a code of conduct complaint to the city’s integrity commissioner, according to VIA.  

Park board commissioners eventually approved the plan for the 25-metre pool, telling Vancity Lookout before the meeting that it all came down to how much money was available from City Hall for the project. 

Unless there was another $50-100 million available for the project, “I think we've got to get rolling with the 25m [pool] and move all the 50m swimmers [to Hillcrest], despite their unhappiness with it,” Commissioner Tom Digby said at the time. 

The city and park board have three weeks to file a response to the allegations in the society’s petition. 

Girard does not expect the case to be heard for many months, but isn’t too worried about the timing, given that the construction for the new VAC isn’t scheduled to begin until late 2026. 

Meanwhile, the current VAC facility, built in 1974, will reopen to the public on September 8 for what could be its final year of service.

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THE VANCOUVER NUMBER

$140 million

The amount the three-storey Granville-Robson Retail Complex sold for after more than a year on the market. It’s the largest real estate transaction in B.C. this year. The 90,000 sq. ft. property, home to Best Buy and Marshalls, was purchased by GJ Group Robson Inc., which also owns a vacant lot nearby. Read more. [Storeys]

THE AGENDA

👮 The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. is investigating the killing of a man by Vancouver Police, who were responding to a 911 call about a dispute between two neighbours on Tuesday in Joyce-Collingwood. Read more. [Cloverdale Reporter]

⚽ The 2026 FIFA World Cup winner’s trophy will be on display at the Italian Cultural Centre (“Il Centro”) in East Vancouver on Tuesday, Aug. 26 from 9-11 a.m. Everyone is invited to drop in and see the trophy. Read more. [Vancouver Sun]

🏘️ The housing market in the Lower Mainland is experiencing a rebound, but job losses in construction and weak demand are limiting recovery. Read more. [BIV]

🎁 Vancouver city councillors disclosed the free gifts they’ve been given this year. Most were free tickets to events like the Junos, Ballet BC, and the Vancouver Art Gallery. Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung disclosed 29, the most of any councillor, followed by Lenny Zhou’s 19. Read more. [BIV]

🗳️ We’re not even a year out from the municipal elections, but a Conservative party has been registering in municipal elections across BC, including in Vancouver. Read more. [Vancouver Sun]

🏗️ Science World is becoming an experiment itself. The landmark building is getting $39 million from senior governments to make it more energy efficient, including insulating the iconic dome. The retrofits are expected to be finished next year, and visitors will be able to learn all about the building’s energy usage through a new display. Learn more. [The Tyee]

🌇 The owner of one Downtown Eastside restaurant is calling out politicians at all levels of government for their failure to meet the needs of DTES residents — and proposing a solution. Read more. [Vancouver Sun]

🚌 Sexual assault charges have been laid against a man who allegedly groped a woman on the 99-B Line in June. Read more. [City News]

☀️ This weekend will be hot and dry, but no heat advisories are expected. Read more. [City News]

WEEKEND EVENT GUIDE

Kit Eakle’s Jaz’n’theViolin String Band | VIFF Centre | September 14, 2pm | Discover Louie Bluie, the fiddle player who shaped jazz and blues as we know it, with live music and a documentary screening | Learn more [Sponsored]

Disney’s The Lion King  | Queen Elizabeth Theatre | Until Sept. 14 | Broadway’s award-winning musical phenomenon returns to the Vancouver stage | $40–$160

Dumpling Night: Make Soup Dumplings & Potstickers from Scratch | 2200 Ontario St. | Aug. 22 at 6 pm | Hands-on class making soup dumplings & potstickers, GF & vegan options | Tickets $108

4x4’s & Live Music | Red Truck Brewery | Aug. 22 at 4:30 pm | Off-road rigs, live music, and craft beer gathering | Free entry

Soul Veg – The Market | Creekside Park | Aug. 23 at 11 am | Plant-based market with food trucks, yoga, inflatables, and family fun | Free

Vancouver Vintage Motorcycle Show & Shine | 1875 Boundary Rd. | Aug. 23 at 11 am | Classic motorcycle showcase with rides, restorations, and community gathering | Free

Summer Open House 2025 | Bill Reid Gallery | Aug. 23 at 12 pm | Free Indigenous art showcase with live performances, weaving, and storytelling | Free

UBC Thunderbirds Soccer vs TWU Spartans | Thunderbird Stadium | Aug. 23 at 5 pm | Women’s and men’s doubleheader home matches at Thunderbird Stadium | Tickets $18+

Catnip & Chill | 2323 Quebec St., unit 202 | Aug. 23, 11 am–4 pm | Cat-themed summer social with DIY meowbox, swag bag & treats | Tickets $31

Mini Mini Market | Plenty, 2803 W. Broadway | Aug. 23 at 11 am | Kid vendors sell handmade crafts, art, cookies and more | Free

The Big Bounce Canada | Concord Pacific Place | Aug. 22–31 | Giant obstacle course, sports arena and inflatable fun for all ages | Tickets $39

Granville Block Party | Granville Entertainment District (Granville St. & Robson St.) | Aug. 23–24, 1–7 pm | Live music, kids’ activities, market vendors, and themed drinks | Free

Summer Music and Fireworks Festival | Westminster Quay, New West | Aug. 23, 3–9:30 pm | Family festival with entertainment, activities and evening fireworks | Free

Marianas Trench | Pacific Coliseum | Aug. 24 at 7:30 pm | Pop-rock band headlines the PNE’s Summer Night Concerts with chart-topping hits | Tickets $55+

Day of the Dog | 1100 Mainland St. | Aug. 24, 11 am–4 pm | Dog festival with photo ops, treats, and new attractions | Free

Listening Party: Summer Exclusive | Knowledge Barbers | Aug. 24 at 7–10 pm | R&B, hip-hop and rap DJ sets with creative community vibes | Tickets $15

Submit your event and it could appear here and reach 28,00+ Vancouver locals

PHOTO OF THE DAY

A pretty shot of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. Nature in the heart of the city!

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Popular Thai restaurant Song by Kin Kao will be reopening on Aug. 29. [VIA]

• Vancouver is Canada’s photobooth capital. [Scout Magazine]

• BCAA’s Task Marketplace will help connect handy people with those… less handy folks… who need help doing odd jobs. [Daily Hive]

• Tombolo, a Pop-Up Children’s Art Gallery and Storybook Museum, will be reopening for two weeks in September. [Miss 604]

• Get ready for the largest used book sale in Vancouver, taking place at the VPL’s main branch from September 4-7. [Daily Hive]

• Want to have your announcement featured? Learn how here.

VANCOUVER GUESSER

Well done to the majority of you who knew last week’s Guesser was in Dunbar, specifically the 33rd Ave. entrance to Pacific Spirit Park. I don’t get over there as often as I used to but it’s still one of my favourite places around town. 

For today’s Guesser, can you tell me what neighbourhood this inconspicuous art gallery is in? Hint: that’s a stylized CJ on the door.