The District’s financial plan includes $1.8M for a Brennan Park accessible splash park and playground. Residents were invited to provide input into the design process in early 2024.

During the 2025 budget deliberations (in fall 2024), Council supported a staff recommendation to allocate the full budget to the splash park to incorporate a water-saving recirculating system. While this system is significantly more costly, there was full agreement as to the benefits of saving and recirculating water, given the community’s water conservation values. By increasing the investment needed for the splash park, the decision was made to delay the adjacent playground to a future year.

As of March 2025, further exploration is underway regarding electrical power needs for the splash park in conjunction with the renovation work taking place at Brennan Park Recreation Centre. A presentation on the scope of work required for the anticipated upgrade will be brought to Council once available.

Brennan Park's new dog park opened in 2024, and is a fully fenced area located between the BMX park and the artificial turf field.

• Budget: $40K

Two tennis courts were remediated and six pickleball courts were installed at Brennan Park in 2023. The remaining two tennis courts are planned to be remediated in 2024.

• Timeline: Completed 
• Budget: $370K

The SORCA Bike Skills Park along Loggers Lane, adjacent to the Brennan Park Recreation Centre auditorium, underwent a comprehensive re-build and opened to the public in 2024. The new facility includes a Flow Zone with green, blue, double-blue jumps and berms, a paved 150m Pump Track and a Skills Loop aimed to emulate some of the trail features found in the community trail network yet built for new riders (suitable for run-bikes).

Improvements to the connecting trail between the recreation centre and Finch Drive are being planned. Details will be shared as this project progresses. 

• Timeline: TBD
• Budget: $175K

A covered bike park is being explored for the Brennan Park Fields and Lands, and District staff are in discussions with a possible proponent. Details will be shared as this project progresses. 

• Timeline: To be confirmed
• Budget: TBA
• Current works: District staff in discussion with possible proponent. Proponent is reviewing requirements and cost for utilities (in particular stormwater) to confirm the feasibility of the project.

Funding, as per the grant parameters, will upgrade the building envelope to improve its energy efficiency and indoor air quality, as well as reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. View the full announcement. 

The community was invited to a drop-in Information Night on Thursday, February 1 between 4 and 8 p.m. Details on the improvements set to begin in the coming months were on display, as well as a look ahead at our plans for improving Brennan Park Recreation Centre. Project staff were also on hand to answer questions. 

Click here to view the information boards

Click here to visit Let's Talk Squamish for more information on the Splash Park and Playground. 

Construction is set to begin next week on relocated pickleball courts and upgraded tennis courts. Six new pickleball courts will be built and the two northern tennis courts will be dismantled and rebuilt as part of the project. The northern tennis courts will be closed during construction, however the two southern tennis courts will remain open throughout and are slated for an upgrade in 2024. The project is estimated to be complete by end of August for end-of-summer play. Read the news release here. 

This is a preliminary plan that enables us to now ground-truth with outside experts and the various organizations that use the facility and surrounding lands.

Finalizing a master plan is an important piece to set us up for securing grant funding for the various phases to take place over time.

View the Report to Council during the June 13, 2023 Committee of the Whole. View the meeting video.  

The District of Squamish is embarking on the next phase of facility investments in Squamish by reviewing municipal facilities and land requirements in a fiscally responsible manner.  Council approved an amendment to the 2023-2027 Financial Plan Bylaw to support a Real Estate and Facilities Master Plan (REFMP) Pre-Development project.

Scope of Work*: The following retrofit and upgrade works will be undertaken as part of this first project:

• New ice rink and pool heat recovery system and upgrades to HVAC system.
• Mezzanine area retrofit to increase programming space.  
• Lobby retrofit.
• Accessibility improvements.
• New customer service area. 
• Retrofit of ice rink change rooms. 
• Sustainability measures such as ice rink roof insulation upgrades.

*This project is funded by the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program, therefore the scope of work must remain within the parameters set by the grant supplier.

A $16.3M project - Project One: Green and Accessibility Retrofit Project - that will kick start a series of Brennan Park Recreation Centre upgrades over the coming years is moving forward! A Request for Proposals has been issued to hire the project team that will complete this first phase of work. This work is defined by the recently successful federal grant application announced in July. The grant will cover $11.7M of the project costs.

*This grant is funded through the federal Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program. Eligible work under the grant includes the following: green retrofit projects such as the ice arena and pool heating/cooling reclaim system upgrades; new construction to add an elevator to an expanded second floor; renovation of the second-floor mezzanine for a fitness/program room with adaptable equipment: renovation of ice rink changerooms and lobby.  

The District of Squamish received funding from the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program (Infrastructure Canada) for the start of a deep energy retrofit, facility upgrades for better community accessibility, and an interior renovation for Squamish’s main recreation complex. 

The federally-funded Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) program aims to build more community buildings and improve existing infrastructure – particularly in areas where the population is experiencing higher needs while also making the buildings more energy efficient with lower carbon emissions, more resilient, and higher performing.

• Project Estimate: $16.3M
• Grant Funded: $11.7M
• Timing: Planning and design to start Q4 2022 and construction to start Q2 2023

Grant website Infrastructure Canada - Applicant Guide

Read the news release

Council approved an amendment to the 2023-2027 Financial Plan Bylaw to support a Pre-Development project to undertake the necessary due diligence in order to determine the feasibility of future additional Brennan Park Recreation Centre upgrade projects.  

User-group, stakeholder, and partnership collaboration continues. District begins applications for grants to fund Brennan Park upgrades. Work on new dog park, SORCA skills park, and pickleball/tennis court upgrades begin. Long-term leases with community partners continue, expanding the capacity of work on the Brennan Park Fields and Land Master Plan.

The Brennan Park Fields and Land Master Plan is endorsed by Council. This land use document focuses on surrounding land and assigns future space allotments for use by activity.

Critical elements from the REFMP are incorporated into Long-term Financial Plan and Annual Budget processes. Public engagement with user-groups begins for detailed design nuances on planned upgrades and renovations.

District of Squamish develops a Real Estate and Facilities Strategy and the Re-create Brennan Park Campaign is launched. Community input from the 2012/13 Parks and Recreation Master Plan forms the starting point for community conversations. Development of a two-pronged community engagement campaign was developed and held to build on the findings of the 2012/13 Parks and Recreation Master Plan.

The Parks and Recreation Master Plan is developed. Significant public engagement was conducted during development. The plan laid a path for the future of both the Recreation Centre and surrounding parkland providing a solid foundation for future community discussion. A stronger mandate for community engagement was developed with a shift towards a Community Development Model.