Kitsilano Pool closed for the season today, but Vancouver’s landmark saltwater swimming pool is continuing to make waves internationally.
The Financial Times recently published an ode to the outdoor pool, highlighting its spectacular setting between English Bay, the downtown skyline and the North Shore mountains.
The recognition arrived as Kits Pool completed another uncertain summer. The aging facility opened June 17 following seasonal maintenance, repairs and inspections, several weeks later than Vancouver’s other outdoor pools.
Stretching 137 metres, Kits Pool is nearly three times the length of a standard Olympic pool. It is Vancouver’s only saltwater pool and has served generations of swimmers from its waterfront location at 2305 Cornwall Avenue.
Its future, however, remains unresolved.
The City considers the more than 50-year-old facility to be at the end of its functional life. An earlier feasibility study presented three options: protecting the existing pool for approximately $40 million, completing a more extensive $90-million renovation, or constructing a replacement outside the floodplain for between $230 million and $300 million.
Vancouver City Council’s approved 2027–2030 Capital Plan identifies Kitsilano Pool rehabilitation as a committed program, with staff expected to provide further details through a mid-term capital update.
For now, the final swimmers have climbed out and the gates are closed. But the international attention offers another reminder that Kits Pool is more than a seasonal recreation facility—it is one of the neighbourhood’s most recognizable and cherished landmarks.
