Get the best of Vancouver in your inbox, every Tuesday and Thursday. Sign up for our free newsletter.
Every summer, like clockwork, our favourite situationship, Kits Pool, slides back into our lives as if nothing ever happened. No hard feelings, no closure, just vibes, and a very long stretch of saltwater.
The City of Vancouver and Vancouver Park Board are aiming to reopen the beloved seaside swim spot by mid-June, pending the usual pre-season tune-up. That means checking the pool’s condition, repairing pipes and the basin where needed, then refilling, treating, and heating the water before a final inspection clears it for cannonballs.
It’s not exactly a quick flip of a switch. Kits Pool has been showing its age for a while now, with worn-down components and storm damage that makes each opening feel a little like a small miracle. The saltwater pool is, officially, at the end of its functional life.
Behind the scenes, the city is figuring out what comes next. A recent feasibility study, in conjunction with public feedback, outlined three possible futures for the pool. One option would patch things up to keep the current structure going for another 15 years, with a price tag of around $40 million. A more extensive renovation could extend that to about 30 years, at roughly $90 million. Or, the big swing: building a brand-new pool outside the floodplain, designed to last up to 75 years, with an estimated cost somewhere between $230 million and $300 million.
Each option comes with its own trade-offs, from cost and climate resilience to how long the pool would be out of commission. What people seem to agree on, though, is that whatever happens next should keep the pool’s length and character intact.
For now, the focus is on getting through another summer. A final decision on the pool’s future is expected as part of the City’s 2027 to 2030 Capital Plan discussions later this spring.
Until then, if all goes to plan, Kits Pool will be back in action by mid-June. And just like that, the seasonal reunion begins.