Brennan Park Aquatic Centre still making waves after 25 years

What were you doing in the year 1992 when Wayne’s World made its big screen debut, Microsoft released Windows 3.1 and Boyz II Men’s End of the Road topped the pop music charts? The District of Squamish was celebrating the official grand opening of the new Brennan Park Aquatic Centre and we’re inviting you to relive the excitement. The community is invited to celebrate 25 years of the Brennan Park pool with a special toonie swim, games and cake on Saturday, October 21 from 1 to 4 p.m.

“A swimming pool is much more than a place to do laps or learn to swim, it’s a place where as a child you can imagine you are an astronaut weightless in space, or searching for underwater treasure as you practice holding your breath for as long as you can,” says District of Squamish Mayor Patricia Heintzman. “Our pool is a place filled with lifelong recreation, laughter and friendship, and it will continue to grow with the community for years to come.”  

The new facility cost $4.3-million and opened to the public for the first time on Saturday October 3, 1992. It was the first indoor pool in Squamish, replacing an older outdoor pool at Howe Sound Secondary School.

District staff have continued to raise the bar to prolong the life of the facility and maintain high environmental standards through ongoing planned maintenance and replacement.

Energy-efficiency upgrades in the last five years have included:

• Installation of high efficiency boilers saving $7,000 annually and reducing GHG emissions by an estimated 61 tonnes
• Replacement of halogen underwater lights with sealed LED lighting fixtures saving approximately 0.5 tonnes of greenhouse (GHG) emissions annually
• Overhead lighting upgrade improving light output by 12% while reducing energy consumption by 50%
• New pool deck air handling unit saving an estimated .9 tonnes of GHG emissions while providing consistently good quality air
• Upgraded HVAC increasing efficiency of units
• Replacement of expansion joints preventing leaking

The Aquatic Centre’s annual maintenance has contributed to its longevity and helped to prevent larger and more costly repairs from occurring. During the annual closure, a complete cleaning and preventative maintenance on all areas of the Aquatic Centre takes place, from the pools and hot tub to the change room and mechanical areas. Preventative maintenance also allows staff to closely inspect the facilities for damage and wear, and identify the need for any replacement parts.

Fun Facts

62,843:  Public swim visitors in 2016

7,455:  Aquatic program registrations in 2016

750:  Cubic meters of water needed to fill the pool

1 million: Litres of water are saved annually since the pool water filter media was upgraded in 2014

October 17, 2017