By Grant Warkentin
Featured image: Inside the new pool at Strathcona Gardens on Sept. 29, 2026. Photo by Grant Warkentin
With the official first public swim at the new Strathcona Gardens pool just one month away, dignitaries held the formal ribbon-cutting ceremony today to celebrate the completion of the new aquatic centre.
“This has been a long process, but from what I see, it’s been done right, it’s bright, and it’s our future,” said Cal Grunerud, community representative on the Strathcona Gardens Commission.
The new lap pool, leisure pool, hot pool, kids’ pool and lazy river are all running perfectly, and water tenperatures are holding steady. The universal change room is ready for visitors, and once the old pool is decommissioned, construction can begin on gendered mens’ and womens’ change rooms.
The waterslide isn’t installed yet – its components are currently sitting in the construction area outside – but it should be installed and ready for action by next month.
Today’s ceremonies were opened with a song and a blessing by the Laichwiltach elders and their youth cultural group. Afterwards, Strathcona Regional District board Chair Susan Sinnott spoke about the significance of the new aquatic centre.
“Today is much more than celebrating the creation of a new building. It’s a celebration of a place where people of every ability can come play, do physio, compete, and be part of the community,” she said.
Sinnott said the new facility was designed from the ground up with accessibility and inclusivity in mind, with wide walkways, easy access to all pools, the ‘Ferrari’ of lifts to allow people in wheelchairs in and out of the pool, and more coming once renovations begin in the old pool space.
Sinnott said the new pool was completed within two years, on time and on budget, “and that’s a huge accomplishment.”
The public will be able to tour the pool on October 13; more details will be available early next month.
The old pool will be decommissioned and transformed into new space for physiotherapy, a 5,000-square-foot gym, multi-purpose rooms, offices, a wellness centre and weight room, a new reception area, and the new gendered change rooms. That project is expected to be complete by summer 2027.
Campbell River Mayor Kermit Dahl spoke at the ceremony, and said the new facility, along with the improvements coming in phase two for the ice arenas, will be a boon for the city for decades to come.
“People wanted a facility that represents the needs of a growing community,” he said. “Thi also strengthens Campbell River’s reputation as a sports and recreation destination.”
Most importantly, he said, it’s a milestone in the city’s growth, which will improve the quality of life for everyone in the region.
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