Non-partisan · Greater Victoria
The region is losing pool space. The people who can fix it are on your ballot.
By this September, Greater Victoria will have lost nine 25-metre lanes of public swimming space in under a year — and the biggest closure lasts about five years. We asked every municipal candidate what they intend to do about it, and we are publishing what they say.
Six at McKinnon Pool, closed September 2024. Sixteen more (8x50m) when Crystal Pool closes.
The expected construction period for its replacement facility.
The reduction City staff described to rental groups in June 2026, with a maximum of four lanes.
Victoria has none, as heat waves get longer and lake advisories more common.
Figures come from the City of Victoria's June 2026 briefing to rental groups and from public reporting. Where we are not yet certain of a number, we say so. See the issue for sources.
What this means for families
Less water means fewer lessons, fewer club spots, fewer lane-swim hours, and less rehabilitation and seniors' programming. The pressure does not fall evenly — it lands hardest on the people with the fewest alternatives.
Learning to swim
Swimming lessons are a water-safety measure before they are a sport. When lesson space shrinks, the children who miss out are the ones whose families cannot drive across the region to find a spot.
Health and rehabilitation
Pools are where people recover from surgery, manage chronic pain, and stay active into their eighties. That use is quiet, it rarely shows up in a waitlist, and it disappears first when hours are cut.
A regional problem
Residents cross municipal boundaries to swim, but each municipality pays for its own facilities alone. No single council is responsible for regional aquatic capacity — which is exactly why it keeps slipping.
How we got here
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October 2025McKinnon Pool closes
Six 25-metre lanes on the UVic campus come out of service.
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September 2026Crystal Pool closes
Eight more 50m lanes come out of service for roughly five years while the replacement is built.
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October 17, 2026Municipal election
New councils and mayors are elected across the region. Mayors also sit on or influence the CRD board.
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Late 2026 – early 2027Priorities and budgets are set
Incoming councils set strategic priorities and pass budgets. This is the window where aquatic access either makes the list or does not.
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January 2027Interim facility programs begin
Programming restarts with a maximum of four lanes — roughly a 70% reduction on what Crystal provided.
What we are asking for
In the short term
Relieve the squeeze while Crystal Pool is down: examine whether McKinnon Pool can be reopened on a shared-cost basis, extend hours where staffing allows, and coordinate allocation across municipalities instead of leaving each pool to sort it out alone.
In the long term
Treat aquatic capacity as regional infrastructure. Measure how much water space the region actually has per resident, plan for more of it across multiple sites, and explore a regional funding model like the one already used for Panorama Recreation on the Peninsula.
Before you vote, find out where they stand
We sent every mayoral and council candidate in our municipalities the same ten questions about aquatic access. Every answer we receive is published in full, unedited. Where a candidate does not respond, we say that too.
WAVE does not endorse candidates or parties. We publish what candidates tell us and let residents draw their own conclusions.