Lazy river, waterslide, splash pad: Council hears first ideas for new pool as city set to start gathering community feedback

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The City of Fort St. John council has decided to move forward with professional pricing and designing for its new aquatic facility. 

During the January 12th Committee of the Whole meeting, Kylah Bryde, the director of community services, and Darrell Blades, the deputy chief administrative officer, went before the council to provide an update on the new aquatics facility. 

The presentation details the city’s proposed intentions to combine a new aquatic facility to replace the North Peace Leisure Pool with a fieldhouse, leased space and a 400-spot car park. 

Research into the new facility is being led by the city’s new aquatic facility working group, which was formed after the Peace River Regional District stepped away from the project in August 2025. 

The group and city staff have been working on the project since September, with a deadline of October 2026, when a referendum will be held to determine public support and approval for the new facility. 

The facility is set to be located on a 10-acre pot of land across from the Naache Commons and Margaret “Ma” Murray Community School in XJ Evergreen Estates’ Parkwood Southlands development. 

At this time, Blades explained all blueprints released by the city for the facility were a “site-fit design,” a high-level visualization of what features the property could hold.

Blades also noted the project was separated into two phases, with the aquatic portion of the facility being phase one, and a fieldhouse and pitch being phase two, a possible future addition to the project within eight to 10 years of finishing phase one.

“We’re going to design right from the beginning that phase two was going to come at some time, whether that’s with phase one or 10 years from now, so the building will be designed to handle both phases,” Blades said.

When talking about the feedback gathered as of January, Bryde explained 53 per cent showed a preference for a 25-metre pool, and 95 per cent identified a warm pool as a priority. 

Feedback also pointed towards a preference in temperature, which Bryde and Blades stated would be prioritized in the new facility. 

“As we hear, everyone wants warmer water, if you come to a leisure swim at the pool on Sundays, there [are] hundreds of people in the leisure pool and about five teenagers braving the lap pool,” Bryde said.

Feedback from user groups, both before the council in December 2025 and during meetings with the working group, revealed the preference of an unheated lap pool, meaning the new aquatic facility would feature multiple pools of various uses. 

“We often hear the current pool is too small, we need a new facility ASAP, the community needs a space for everyone to go, and we are here because 68 per cent said they were in support of a new facility,” Bryde said.

Bryde also stated 32 per cent did not support building a new facility.  

Depending on final feedback, the aquatic facility portion may feature:

• An eight-lane lap pool
• Two diving boards
• A three-lane lap pool
• A leisure pool with lazy river and two shorter lanes
• A hot pool with accessible ramp entry
• A waterslide
• A splash pad
• Various changerooms, first aid rooms and multi-purpose rooms
• Storage spaces and spectator seating

Blades noted a dedicated webpage on the city’s ‘Let’s Talk’ page for the new facility would be launched on January 13th, providing residents an opportunity to cast votes in a survey for what features they would like to see within the complex. 

Bryde explained within the survey individuals would get 10 points to be used on various amenities. Larger options would be valued at six points, and lower ones would be two points. 

Staff closed the presentation by requesting guidance from the council on what the next step of the plan should look like and which phases of the plan should be professionally priced and designed.

Councillor Gord Klassen raised concerns about the size of the facility, asking if the proposal was “building bigger than needed.”

Blades answered by stating staff believed the design would be “building for the future.”

“We’re right sizing it for our 50-year growth,” Blades said.

“It does look larger, but…we’re only going to have this one for the next 50 years, unless the population number[s] are way too conservative and we have massive growth.”

The councillors ultimately agreed to have both phases priced and planned at the same time.

The city will continue to gather feedback from residents and user groups to inform the official plans for the project.

In March, the delegation will return with refined designs and cost estimates, with this and a look at taxpayer impacts before the Fort St. John Trade Show at the Pomeroy Sport Centre starting on April 10th. 

According to the ‘Lets Talk’ page, feedback will be gathered in a survey from January 13th to February 1st, and feedback will also be collected in-person, including on January 23rd from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the North Peace Arena. 

To view the city staff’s presentation, see below.