Vernon Aquatic Centre and Swim Education for Every Child

Vernon is about to gain more than a new recreation building. A modern aquatic centre, connected to a broader active living vision that includes ice rinks, pool space, and room to grow, can become one of the most practical public investments our city makes.

Pools and rinks matter because they serve people at every stage of life. A child learns confidence in the water. A senior keeps moving through low-impact exercise. A teenager finds a healthy place to train. A family has somewhere safe to spend an evening in February.

But with Okanagan Lake and Kalamalka Lake so close, the aquatic side of this project carries a deeper responsibility. Swimming is not just a sport. It is a life skill.

A public pool can be both a recreation space and a safety classroom.

A new facility should serve the whole community

The new active living facility in Vernon is arriving at an important time. Communities across Canada are trying to keep up with growth, aging infrastructure, and the need for better public recreation spaces. Vernon is no different.

A facility with aquatic space and ice rinks can support a wide range of uses:

• Public swimming and lessons

• Lane swimming and aquatic fitness

• Therapy and low-impact movement

• Youth sport and school programs

• Hockey, ringette, figure skating, and public skating

• Tournaments and community events

  
  

The two ice rinks are an important part of that picture. Ice time is often in high demand, especially during the winter season. More rink capacity can reduce pressure on existing schedules and give local clubs, families, and casual skaters better access.

The pool is just as important, and perhaps even more urgent from a safety point of view. In a lake community, access to swim instruction should not be treated as a luxury.

This facility should be planned and operated with a simple question in mind: how many Vernon residents can it serve well, and how often?

That means fair scheduling, accessible fees, strong maintenance, and programming that does not leave families behind.

Early lessons help children become calmer and safer around water.

The land around the facility should be protected for future expansion

When a city builds a major public facility, the building is only part of the decision. The land around it matters too.

Vernon should be careful not to box itself in. As the city grows, future councils may need space for more parking, outdoor recreation, added pool capacity, dryland training space, accessibility upgrades, or new community services connected to the facility.

Protecting expansion options does not mean building everything at once. It means thinking ahead.

Good public planning leaves room for the next need, not only the current one. If the aquatic centre and rinks become as well used as expected, the city will be glad it kept future flexibility in mind.

Possible future additions could include:

• More lesson space for children and beginners

• Outdoor gathering or picnic areas

• Better pedestrian and cycling connections

• Sports Fields

• Running Track

• Expanded change rooms or family-friendly spaces

• More accessible design features

• Additional recreation or wellness programming

  
  

The goal should be a facility that can adapt over decades, not one that feels full the day it opens.

Every child in Vernon should have the chance to learn to swim

This is where the new aquatic centre can become something bigger than a building.

Vernon should look seriously at a community-wide swim education program that gives every child the opportunity to learn basic swimming and water safety. That could mean working with local schools, swim instructors, service clubs, Indigenous partners, recreation staff, and families.

The idea is straightforward. At a certain grade level, every student would receive access to a core swim and water safety program. The program would focus on practical skills, not competition.

Children should learn how to:

• Enter and exit water safely

• Float and recover to a safe position

• Swim a basic distance

• Understand cold water risks

• Recognize unsafe conditions

• Call for help without putting themselves in danger

  
  

For some families, private lessons are easy to arrange. For others, cost, transportation, scheduling, or availability can get in the way. A school-linked program helps close that gap.

This matters in Vernon because water is part of daily life. Families visit Okanagan Lake, Kalamalka Lake, local beaches, docks, boats, and campsites. Many children grow up near water long before they have formal lessons.

A city cannot remove every risk, but it can reduce risk through education. If a child lives in a lake community, that child should have a fair chance to learn how to be safe in the water.

Lake communities need practical water safety education.

Schools could be a key partner

A swim-for-every-child program will only work if it is practical. Schools are a natural partner because they already reach most children in the community. Allowances should be made for home schooled children as well. An all inclusive program for water safety.

The city would not need to create a complicated system overnight. It could start with a pilot program. One or two grades could attend a short series of lessons during the school year. The city could track participation, costs, transportation needs, instructor availability, and skill outcomes.

A reasonable pilot would answer key questions:

Question	Why it matters
Which grade level works best?	Younger students may learn early habits, while older students may progress faster.
How many lessons are needed?	The program should teach real skills, not just offer a one-time visit.
How will transportation work?	Busing and scheduling can make or break school access.
How will fees be handled?	No child should be left out because of family income.
Who can help fund it?	Grants, donors, local clubs, and service groups may all have a role.

A program like this would also teach respect for water. Lakes can look calm and still carry serious danger, especially with cold water, sudden drop-offs, wind, fatigue, or weak swimming ability.

Recreation is also prevention

Public recreation is often discussed as a quality-of-life issue. That is true, but it is also prevention.

A well-used aquatic centre can support physical health, mental health, social connection, and safety. A well-used rink can keep young people active and connected through sport. A well-planned active living facility can reduce isolation for seniors and create healthier routines for families.

When we invest in recreation, we should measure success by more than attendance numbers. We should ask whether the facility reaches the people who need it, whether it is affordable, and whether it helps solve real community problems.

For Vernon, one of those problems is water safety.

Small skills learned early can make a lifelong difference.

A practical vision for Vernon

The opening of the new aquatic centre should be treated as a starting point, not a finish line.

Vernon has a chance to build a stronger recreation system around this facility. That means supporting the ice rinks, making the pool accessible, protecting land for future expansion, and creating programs that match the realities of living beside major lakes.

My position is simple: let’s use this investment wisely. Let’s make the facility welcoming and well managed. Let’s plan for growth. Most of all, let’s work toward a future where every child in Vernon has the opportunity to learn how to swim.

That would be a legacy worth building.