Vancouver Aquatic Centre shutdown

Good morning! 

I was doing some work on Salt Spring Island recently, and my camera fried in the rain, which obviously was very sad. But it was a nearly 10-year-old camera that, in 2016, was an entry-level model (Canon Rebel T6i), and I had been thinking for a while about upgrading.

So I recently got a new camera, which is exciting! I made the leap from Canon to Nikon, and from DSLR to mirrorless (Nikon Z6 II). I also switched to a fixed lens (50mm), with the intention of getting other fixed lenses to complement it at some point.

Something about changes like this makes you pay a lot more attention to how you approach things. The obvious one is the fixed lens. I can’t just rely on the zoom to find different shots — I have to use my feet (my old journalism school photo teacher would be proud!), and think a lot more about framing, which is a very gratifying experience.

But I’m also more conscious about exposure settings simply because the buttons and dials are slightly different on the new camera. And because the auto-focus is a bit different, I’ve found myself playing more with manual focus.

Anyway, change is good! It makes you more alive to a particular moment. (And, as this fun Radiolab episode explores, can warp our perception of time.)

Today, we’ve got a look at the Vancouver Aquatic Centre’s closing and the Vancouver Rise’s success.

— Dustin Godfrey, freelancer

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WEATHER

Monday: 11 🌡️ 9 | 🌧️

Tuesday: 10 🌡️ 7 | 🌧️

Wednesday: 10 🌡️ 5 | 🌧️

INFRASTRUCTURE

Vancouver Aquatic Centre shutdown illustrates infrastructure challenges facing the city

Story by Geoff Sharpe

What happened: Swim clubs that rely on the Vancouver Aquatic Centre are raising an alarm over the inability to book swim time for their members, saying the city is making it more difficult than necessary and highlighting the lack of available swim facilities, according to the Vancouver Sun. It’s another reminder about not only the swimming facility challenge facing the city, but also the troubling state of the city's infrastructure. 

Background: The Vancouver Aquatic Centre is not only mired in an indefinite closure after a piece of concrete fell from the roof, but is also the target of a lawsuit over the park board’s decision to convert the facility into a 25-metre pool, from the current 50-metre length.

Pool issues are exacerbated in the summer, when the city only has five outdoor swimming pools. Meanwhile, while Toronto is not typically known for its outdoors (I can say that having lived there), it has 50 outdoor pools. The park board has blamed city council for not funding more pools, according to CityNews. 

• Meanwhile, over in North Vancouver, the municipality is set to build a $21 million harbour swimming deck near Waterfront Park, according to North Shore News. It would be 7,000 metres in size, including 50-metre swim lanes and a leisure pool. 

Infrastructure challenges: The Lookout’s reporter Nate explored in a recent piece how the city is dealing with crumbling recreation facilities. Out of 24 community centres, 14 pools, and eight ice rinks, 72 per cent are in ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ condition, according to a 2022 analysis by the city. Currently, there is a $500 million infrastructure deficit, including $33 million underfunding of recreation facilities. 

Nowhere is it more apparent than at the Britannia Centre, serving some of the city’s lowest median income communities. The pool was identified back in 2018 as needing to be replaced, but according to the Lookout’s interview with Craig Ollenberger, a director on the board of the Britannia Community Services Society, the centre was  “passed over” in favour of the Vancouver Aquatic Centre and the Kits Pool. 

• A recent audit highlighted the issues of deferred maintenance at Britannia Centre, where work that is needed but put off, which then increases the likelihood of disruptions due to infrastructure failure.

What it means: It’s worth considering these issues — the aging and broken-down infrastructure of a city, the lack of swim facilities, and the cascading effects upon residents — as certain members of city council push for no property tax increases in the upcoming budget.

THE VANCOUVER NUMBER

$10

BC’s minimum wage is that much lower than what a worker needs to get by in Metro Vancouver, according to a new report from BC Policy Solutions, which calculates the living wage annually. The living wage for Metro Vancouver in 2025 was $27.85, which would cover the basics, as well as allow a worker to afford to participate in everyday life. Read more. [Vancouver Sun]

THE VANCOUVER BRIEF

Today, we’re launching a new semi-regular section called The Vancouver Brief. It covers important and substantive issues in more detail than the agenda, but smaller than a full story. It’s all part of our commitment to help you understand the news in Vancouver.

Move over hockey, Vancouver is a soccer town

You’ll be forgiven for thinking that Vancouver is no longer a hockey city after this weekend, as the Vancouver Rise captured the first Northern Super League championship with a 2-1 win over AFC Toronto.

The win comes as the Whitecaps sold out their upcoming playoff game at BC Place for the first time in the club’s history. Around 53,000 people are expected to attend the semifinal game against the Los Angeles FC. And let’s not forget that Vancouver is hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup games next year. 

• Why it matters: Besides the popularity of the sport, soccer games, unlike hockey, are just more accessible. Season tickets for the Whitecaps are $22 per game — compare that to $86 (without fees) for a single game against Dallas this week. As life in Vancouver gets more and more expensive, it’s natural for people to flock to more affordable options. 

No fun city to charge more for fun

As we reported on Friday, the city will not raise property taxes this year, meaning services will need to be cut and fees will rise to cover the revenue shortfall. One of those fees expected to rise is for market exhibitors and food trucks, according to CBC.

For instance, special market at the Vancouver Art Gallery will now cost $2,500, up from $100. The executive director of the Vancouver Farmers Market is warning that fee increases on their markets, which operate for many months, would make it hard for them to operate, though the city says it wouldn’t apply to non-profits, only commercial operators.

Written by Geoff Sharpe.

THE AGENDA

🤝 Vancouver Coastal Health has committed to taking more measures to reduce the impact of an overdose prevention site in Yaletown on the community to settle a lawsuit by a local resident. That includes better managing people who are outside the OPS, cleaning up paraphernalia and more crisis de-escalation. Read more. [Global]

🚩 Filipino community members say there are red flags in a proposed Filipino community centre — specifically, a lack of consultation by the new non-profit pushing the centre with Filipino groups who have pre-existing plans for a community centre and the connection with private development. Read more. [CBC]

🪳 BC Housing insists a woman and her five children, including her baby, that was born prematurely, can return to their subsidized housing without further action by the housing authority, despite a cockroach infestation. She says her baby did well in hospital, but had respiratory issues in the housing unit. Read more. [CityNews]

🏗️ A proposed development could see 400 new rental apartments, a grocery store and more retail space near Main and Terminal, directly between Pacific Central Station and the SkyTrain line. The project would include two 28- and 36-storey towers connected by an eight-storey podium and a 5,320 square-foot public plaza. Read more. [Vancouver Sun]

🧑‍⚖️ A Vancouver lawyer has been suspended for four months for failing to take precautions against clients in suspicious transactions where there wasn’t a clear source of the money they were paying. Read more. [CTV] 

👀 A new BC NDP bill would bar cities from getting peer reviews of reports by certified architects, geoscientists and engineers paid by developers to support their projects as part of housing approvals. Metro Vancouver mayors say the province is once again bulldozing through their ability to regulate housing. The province says it would speed up housing projects. Read more. [CBC]

🛴 East Vancouver residents aren’t too happy about the Lime scooter stations that have been set up in the neighbourhood, saying the stations, which take the place of street parking, are obstructing their views and that they had no input on the stations. Read more. [Vancouver Sun]

🏒 The Vancouver Canucks have signed former Toronto Maple Leafs mainstay David Kampf for a $1.1-million one-year contract. After four years regularly showing up for the Leafs, he was dropped to their farm team, before his contact was cancelled last week. Read more. [Global]

EVENT GUIDE

Death Café + Free Writing Evening | 2401 East Hastings St. | Nov. 18, 6 pm | A thoughtful evening of writing and conversation on topics relating to grief, death and dying | By donation

East Van Panto: West Van Story | York Theatre | Nov. 19–Jan. 4, various times | Wild holiday musical comedy about love, rivalry, dance battles and housing chaos | Tickets $59

The Vancouver Pancakes & Booze Art Show | 147 E. Pender | Nov, 20, 7 pm | Free pancakes, live performances and over 75 local artists? Yes, please! | Tickets $20

IndieFest | Various locations | Nov. 20–29, various times | Performing arts festival merging storytelling with emerging tech and immersive experiential productions | Tickets $20–$45

Under $100 Art Show Vancouver | Lansdowne Centre, Richmond | Nov. 20–23, various times | Nearly 100 artists selling original works and accessories all under $100 | Tickets $15

Vancity Foodie Fest | The Pipe Shop, North Van | Nov. 21, 5–10 pm | Holiday food festival with vendors, drinks, music, photo booth and gifting | Tickets $18

Stomp Records 30th Anniversary | Rickshaw Theatre | Nov. 21, 7 pm | Punk anniversary concert featuring The Real McKenzies, Planet Smashers and more | Tickets $36

K-Pop Demon Hunters: The Drag Musical | The Birdhouse | Nov. 21–22, 10 pm | After their first run sold out, this popular drag show is back for more | Tickets $35

Vancouver Game Expo | 181 Roundhouse Mews | Nov. 29, 11 am–6 pm | A one-day expo for all ages featuring our vibrant local video game scene | Tickets $7

Very Victorian Christmas Market | Roedde House Museum | Nov. 29–Nov. 30 | Shop from local artists and vendors stationed in rooms throughout the Museum. | Tickets $5

Science and Song Under the Star Theatre! | H.R. MacMillan Space Centre | Dec. 2, 6 pm | An amazing experience exploring how music shapes the brain, memory and learning | Tickets $6

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NEW VANCOUVER JOBS

Discover your dream job in Vancouver:

• Manager, safety and environmental compliance, BC Rapid Transit Co. Ltd

• Associate chair, supply shain, Yorkville University

• Social media & content specialist, Beedie

• Health and safety coordinator, Ideal Welders Ltd.

• Safety and people coordinator, Torus Talent Consultants

• Experience officer, students and alumni, Terry Fox Humanitarian Award Program

GOOD NEWS MONDAY

An American woman finished the 5,700-km hike along the Continental Divide and Great Divide trails in the US and Canadian Rockies, making her the first woman to do both trails in one go. Near the end, she made friends with Kakwa Park Snowmobile Club members, who insisted she spend the night in their cabin rather than finish the hike in the dark. Read more. [CBC]

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Part of the seawall is temporarily closed for annual maintenance. [CTV]

• A local auction is your chance to pad your UFO collection. [Vancouver Sun]

• A Vancouver sandwich shop’s owners say they don’t want any more customers. [Daily Hive]

• The cost for four colourful Mount Pleasant homes have dropped. [CTV]

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