New Harbour Swimming Deck Coming to North Vancouver

Local swimming pools are few and far between in Lynn Valley and across North Vancouver and are always busy throughout the year. Children’s swim programs fill up quickly and team clubs and swim meets draw large crowds. Some new and exciting swimming pools will be a welcome change in the near future.

Harry Jerome’s new pool tank bottom has been completed and tank testing is underway. Tiling work in the aquatics area is progressing well and the facility is on track to open in 2026. What is also exciting is that the City of North Vancouver has unveiled plans for a $21-million outdoor public harbour swimming deck at Waterfront Park — the first of its kind in B.C.

Mayor Linda Buchanan called it “a transformative project that brings recreation, joy, and connection to our oceanfront in a way never done before.”

The design features a 7,000 m² floating, wheelchair-accessible platform with swim lanes, diving boards, sand areas, and a shallow leisure pool. Onshore amenities will include washrooms, change rooms, and outdoor showers. The deck will be free to use, with space for 250–400 visitors and lifeguards on duty from May to September.

Most of the funding — $16 million — comes from Swim Drink Fish, a non-profit supported by the Weston Family Foundation. The city will contribute $5 million and manage design, construction, and ongoing operations, estimated at about $600,000 per year. Officials expect the new attraction to generate $10 million annually in local spending.

“Connecting people to the water helps them protect it,” said Swim Drink Fish president Mark Mattson. “This project reimagines our relationship with water and each other.”

Pending Port Authority approval, the city plans to complete the project by 2027, marking the start of a reimagined Waterfront Park and westward expansion of the Shipyards District.