Frequently Asked Questions

The Alberni Valley Aquatic Centre Advisory Committee developed the vision to be: The Alberni Valley aquatic centre will be an inspirational, culturally diversified, and multifaceted space that will showcase our community spirit and uniqueness. A respectful, inclusive, and welcoming gathering place that promotes health and wellbeing for all users and abilities.

The feasibility study will prepare a comprehensive report on future development, financing, and governance of an indoor aquatic facility to replace the existing Echo Aquatic Centre (Echo Pool) located at 4255 Wallace Street, Port Alberni.

The Alberni Valley aquatic centre will be: 

• Financially Responsible – Responsible to the Valley’s economic conditions by designing within its collective means. This will consider both capital and ongoing operating budgets. 

• Inclusive – Accessible for all people and will provide a safe and trusted environment that offers a strong sense of belonging. 

• Best in class – a facility that demonstrates industry and environmental best practices in terms of aquatic and building performance standards. 

• Uniquely Artistic – Designed through community input and passion reflecting the richness of its diverse communities both in building design and artistic expressions. 

• Spirited and Lively – Open and spacious to foster a vibrant, social hub. It will encourage collective, harmonious, and sharing attitudes. 

• Efficient – well planned and organized to maximize the use of the community amenity. 

The purpose of “benchmarking” is to learn and benefit from the experiences of other communities that have planned and developed successful aquatic facilities. Regional Districts and communities across BC with aquatic facilities were selected as comparators. These included:

1. Comox Valley Regional District
2. Cowichan Valley Regional District
3. Regional District of Nanaimo
4. Cariboo Regional District
5. Columbia Shuswap Regional District
6. Qathet Regional District
7. City of Vernon, Regional District of North Okanagan 
8. District of Kent, Fraser Valley Regional District. 
9. Strathcona Regional District
10. Strathacona Regional District
11. Kootenay Boundary Regional District
12. Regional District of Central Kootenay
13. Regional District of East Kootenay
14. Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako

• City of Port Alberni built the Echo Aquatic Centre in 1966 as part of BC’s 1967 Centennial celebrations.
• A small fitness room, hot tub, sauna, and tots pool were installed in 1974.
• Family change rooms were added in 2000.
• The City of Port Alberni manages the maintenance and operation of the facility.

• Most pools get renovations and/or upgrades every 20 to 30 years - ours has not. This 20 to 30 year asset management timeframe helps address technology changes, mechanical changes, accessibility upgrades, and physical structure changes without necessarily requiring full building code upgrades. Echo Pool has served us very well since its opening in 1967, but it has not had a renovation/upgrade in 57 years. As a result, any upgrades at this point will also require that we bring the entire facility up to today's standards and building code requirements. The cost of renovating will likely cost as much as a new build and will likely not offer the design characteristics that we would expect to have in a facility of this nature in the 21st century.
• Renovating the existing pool will require significant periods of down time. This would mean not having a pool for the community for no less than 12 months, maybe longer. This would have negative impacts on both the families that use the pool and the families whose livelihood depend on their work at the pool.

Most pools are upgraded or renovated regularly, but this has not happened at Echo Aquatic Centre. As a result, our 57-year-old aquatic centre has gone well beyond its lifespan. A renovation would not only look to replace and upgrade the many mechanical aspects of the pool, it would also include bringing the building to today’s building code standards. This means the upgrades required would be extensive and expensive, and we still would not have a facility equal to the demands of our community. On top of that, renovating the current pool would leave our community without a pool for the duration of the renovations, which could be as long as two years. This would have a negative effect on regular users who depend on the pool for their fitness and well being. It would also make an already challenging staffing situation even more difficult.

Various renovation options were considered in 2011 and the details can be found (HERE). We see the challenge of the pools age each year when it closes temporarily for its regular maintenance closure. In the past, this was quite fast – as short as two weeks. Now it is getting more difficult to source the replacement parts needed for a 57-year-old pool. This year, the closure lasted almost two months.

It’s too soon to say. We have completed Phase 1 of the feasibility study, which is focused on community engagement and gathering information. That phase built the groundwork for Phase 2.

That's where we are not. This is where we will begin to look at important considerations like design, location, financing, and governance.

Click subscribe on this page to register for updates so you don’t miss out on the next survey on the aquatic centre and what amenities it will offer. You can also email aquatics@acrd.bc.ca 

Yes. A similar study was conducted in 2011 by the City of Port Alberni. The details, scope, and deliverables are now out of date. 

 Here is a link to the 2011 final report here for reference: https://portalberni.ca/echo-aquatic-centre-feasibility-study-2011

 A new feasibility study will provide a current vision and updated community engagement so that decisions can be made with accurate information.

Currently, the Echo Aquatic Centre is owned and operated by the City of Port Alberni, with financial operating contributions from Sproat Lake, Beaver Creek, and Cherry Creek Electoral Areas.  

In 2018/19, City of Port Alberni Council and the ACRD Board of Directors met and established that the ACRD would be better suited to lead this project.

The process can be summarized in three phases:

Phase 1 – Needs and Benefits Assessment – April to August 2023

• No decisions are made 
• Looks at community aquatic needs through engagement with the community

Phase 2 – Outreach on Options – September 2023 to February 2024

• Looks at design, possible location, financing, and governance
• A decision will be made at the end of this phase
• This will be based on more community engagement

Phase 3 – Advancing a Preferred Vision – March 2024 to March 2025

• Will depend on decisions from Phase 2
• May include outreach regarding the development of a new regional service
• May lead to a referendum or alternative approval process
• May lead to a new fee structure

An important part of this process is understanding the perspectives and aspirations of First Nations, affected parties, elected officials, and the public. An Aquatics Advisory Committee has been formed and has met to discuss the project. They will continue to meet and advise the process.

In Phase 1, we reached people at two open house/workshops on May 31, 2023, for residents of the Alberni Valley (Cherry Creek Hall and Echo Centre). We also conducted a survey (online and printed copies were both available) that concluded on June 15, 2023. We are now in phase two and are starting with online surveys. We will be planning another open house and group discussion for the month of November. If you share your email address, we can contact you with new opportunities as they arise.

The committee is made up of a cross section of the Alberni Valley. This committee is supported by an administrative team at the ACRD.

The committee consists of:

Members at Large

• Vacant (Port Alberni) 
• Nancy Harvey 
• Maurya Tatler 
• Colin McLeman 
• Sarah Henshall 

Tseshaht First Nation Rep - Harley Wylie

Hupacasath First Nation Rep - Brandy Lauder

Wilfred Cootes - ACRD director from Uchucklesaht First Nation

Fred Boyko - ACRD director from Electoral Area B (Beaufort)

Penny Cote - ACRD director from Electoral Area D (Sproat Lake) 

Susan Roth - ACRD director from Electoral Area E (Beaver Creek) 

Deb Haggard - ACRD director from the City of Port Alberni (Chair)

Mike Sparrow - ACRD director from Electoral Area F (Cherry Creek) 

The committee provides valued input into planning for the future of a Alberni Valley aquatic facility. Committee members are encouraged to provide advice to the Project Team, which will be brought forward to the ACRD Board of Directors who hold the authority to make final decisions. The Committee terms of reference can be found by following this link: Aquatics Centre Feasibility Study (acrd.bc.ca).

No. Media inquiries should contact the ACRD Communications Coordinator at hthomson@acrd.bc.ca or 250-206-5162.

Phase 1 and 2 will offer many different ways for the public to have their say and to get involved. These include, but are not limited to:

• Two surveys Alberni Valley Aquatics Outreach | Let's Connect ACRD (letsconnectacrd.ca)
• Open houses
• Workshops
• Small group gatherings
• Social media outreach and online information sharing 

The first round of consultation with the public developed a list of aquatic asset combinations that were prioritized to create a short list of options. The second phase takes these options, along with associated cost and financial impact per household, and presents them to the public to get a better understanding of design and costs elements that matter most to the community. 

Once the second phase is complete, the ACRD Board along with City and First Nations elected councils will consider what, if any, next steps should be advanced for public discussion in 2024. Elements like the creation of a joint aquatic service for the Alberni Valley, governance structures, possible advancement of detailed aquatic centre designs would all be part of the discussion for next steps. 

Depending on what next steps are identified, there may be a need for further dialogue as well as a need for formal public assent processes, such as referendums. These are difficult decisions to make, and staying connected and having your voice heard is both helpful and appreciated. You can stay connected on this matter by signing up for email updates HERE.

Stay informed – Information is available at: Alberni Valley Aquatics Outreach | Let's Connect ACRD (letsconnectacrd.ca)

Send us an email: aquatics@acrd.bc.ca

Take part in upcoming engagement opportunities, including public open houses, workshops, surveys, small group meetings, and other opportunities.

In phase one, we asked people what they like and don’t like in an aquatic centre.

The 1,250 survey responses from phase one indicate that a new indoor aquatic centre in the Alberni Valley to replace the existing Echo Aquatic Centre should be: 

• Family-friendly and fun!
• A balanced focus on leisure, skill development, recreational swimming, and fitness
• Accessible to all ages and abilities
• Affordable for the community.

This second phase will walk you through options for building design and elements to add to your design. It will share high-level costs and will provide you with household cost estimates based on the facility you designed. 

The Feasibility Study will be complete after the end of Phase 2.

Phase 1 – Needs and Benefits Assessment – April to August 2023

• No decision made 
• Looks at community aquatic needs through engagement with the community

Phase 2 – Outreach on Options – September 2023 to February 2024

• Looking at design, possible location, financing, and governance
• A decision will be made at this phase
• This will be based on more community engagement

Phase 3 – Advancing a Preferred Vision – March 2024 to March 2025

• Will depend on decisions from Phase 2
• May include outreach regarding the development of a new regional service
• May lead to a referendum or alternative approval process
• May lead to a new fee structure

Dive in and stay connected by signing up for our email updates. Not only will you receive all the latest information, you will automatically be entered to win prizes with every round of public engagement.

Once the final report of the feasibility study is reviewed by the ACRD Board of Directors, elected representatives will provide direction to staff. 

Depending on what direction is given it may lead to:

• A referendum or alternative approval process
• Outreach regarding the development of a new regional service
• A new fee structure

On the right side of your screen, a total capital cost will display, as well as the total annual management cost and total annual operating costs. It also includes the estimate annual household cost. 

The total capital cost is the estimated cost of the project that includes all required facility components such as a lobby, change rooms, storage, mechanical space, and the pool design options you select. 

Capital costs have been estimated using dollar per square foot values based upon 2023 standard construction market costs for this size and type of project in Port Alberni. The estimate is considered high-level and conceptual with an accuracy in the range of -20% to +40%, 18 times out of 20. 

The estimated annual operating costs are generalized indications of cost and do not represent actual costs. The order of magnitude costs is based on the averaging of eight current operating budgets of aquatic facilities in the region with similar features provided in this survey. An upper and lower operating cost value was established and the difference in increase was attributed to each survey selection as a percentage based on perceived component operating performance. 

Asset management costs contribute to a reserve account to ensure there is funding for the eventual replacement of the building and its systems. For the survey, the annual asset management costs have been estimated based on 25% of the total capital cost over a 60-year period.

The estimated annual household cost is the estimated annual tax increase per household for a new aquatic centre that includes the total capital cost, asset management costs, and operating costs described above.

Once preferred design options have been identified, detailed refinements of base, capital and operating costs will occur. It is at this point that it would be possible to apply for capital grants, as well as community sponsorships and donations.

Determining if there will be a referendum depends on the outcome of the first two phases.

Email your questions to aquatics@acrd.bc.ca.

Share your view on our Let’s Connect page: Alberni Valley Aquatics Outreach | Let's Connect ACRD (letsconnectacrd.ca)