Investing in the pools and recreation spaces Winnipeggers love

We know how important our pools and recreation facilities are to the community. They’re where many kids learn to swim, families spend time together, and memories are made. They’re also training grounds for many elite athletes.

Ensuring our facilities continue to meet the needs of our residents – and our athletes – for years to come requires big investments.

We’re getting ready to start a major project at Pan Am Pool in January 2027. And while we can all agree that our community deserves better facilities, the process of making these improvements can be an inconvenience.

We know residents depend on our recreation spaces, and we are doing our best to coordinate maintenance work to have as many facilities open as possible while we take care of the aging Pan Am Pool.

Renewing Pan Am Pool

Pan Am Pool was originally built for the Pan American Games and opened on July 21, 1967. It has since become an important Winnipeg landmark. It serves Winnipeg residents and hosts national and international visitors. It is also the only pool in Winnipeg that can accommodate competitive swimming and diving.

The facility is home to three pools: an Olympic-size main pool, a training tank, and a kiddie pool. Overlooking the main pool is an impressive diving tower with four diving platforms that range from three to 10 metres in height. There are also two diving springboards.

Aside from aquatics, the facility has several fitness and meeting spaces for visitors to enjoy.

In January 2027, we will begin renewal work. We expect this will take approximately 16 months.

Work includes repairing concrete in the main pool tank, deck, and dive towers and replacing the waterproof membrane and tile in the main tank and surrounding area. We will also be making other upgrades to meet current regulations and standards. To complete the work safely and efficiently, the facility will be closed to the public.

We expect to welcome visitors back in summer 2028.

“Maintenance and renewal work are a normal and necessary part of caring for facilities of this age,” said Sandra Sawatzky, Manager of the Community Services Department’s Asset Management Office. “By doing this work now, we’re helping to avoid larger issues down the road.”

This investment will ensure Pan Am Pool remains an important part of Winnipeg for years to come.

Supporting competitive swimming and diving

Pan Am Pool plays an important role in competitive sport in Manitoba. Because of this, we are working closely with Swim Manitoba and Dive Manitoba to ensure their athletes can continue to train with as much access as possible, while construction is ongoing.  

We are carefully coordinating their access to ensure the safety of all athletes, coaches, and construction crews.

Part of a bigger investment plan

The Pan Am Pool renewal project is part of our larger effort to renew our aging recreation and aquatic spaces across the city.

We recently welcomed swimmers back to Piscine Dan Vandal Bonivital Pool after major renovations. Swimmers returned to a modern, accessible facility. It features an upgraded lobby, changerooms, and multi-purpose room. We also upgraded the heating, ventilation, lighting, fire alarms, and power distribution.

At St. James Civic Centre, we are busy expanding the facility to better meet the needs of the community. Once renovations are complete, it will have new multi-purpose and meeting rooms, a new kitchen, an improved pool viewing area, an updated hall/auditorium, and more.

Across the city, crews are doing important repair work at Seven Oaks Pool. This includes repairing the concrete, replacing the old tiles, and waterproofing.

Each of these investments is essential to the future operation of our indoor aquatic facilities. These projects will make necessary updates, repairs, and improvements that will allow us to welcome members of the community, athletes, and organized events into these venues for years to come.

More ways to have a splash

In addition to our indoor facilities, we are also modernizing our outdoor aquatic facilities. Since 2024, we have added six new spray pads. We now have 30 across the city available for summer fun. These colourful play areas feature fountains, sprayers, and misters that shoot water. The best part is they are free to use and provide hours of fun for kids of all ages and abilities.

Planning around closures

We know residents depend on our recreation spaces, and we do our best to coordinate maintenance and improvement work. Renovations are staged to minimize service disruption and restore impacted aquatic facilities as quickly as possible, helping maintain capacity while long-term infrastructure upgrades continue.

We thank everyone for their patience while we work to keep our facilities modern, fun, and accessible.

To find swimming, recreation, and leisure activities near you, please visit winnipeg.ca/recreation.