By Théo Lemarchandel
For the first time since it was announced two years ago, a proposed partnership between the City of Ottawa and Carleton University to construct a world-class aquatics facility and wellness hub is gaining momentum.
On July 15, city council approved a motion introduced by Capital Coun. Shawn Menard to move toward the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the partners, formally pushing the planning of the project to a new phase.
The motion, seconded by Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, states that an MOU is “required to formalize shared principles, roles, and governance, and to enable the project to proceed with a more refined design and financial model, value engineering, and updated cost estimates. “
An MOU is also described as “a prerequisite for pursuing external funding opportunities, including federal and provincial infrastructure programs.”
Initially unveiled with a $220-million cost estimate, the facility would include a 50-metre-long competition pool and transform the national capital’s sports landscape with an Olympic-standard aquatic centre.
According to Menard’s motion, the new facility is needed to “increase Ottawa Tourism’s ability to attract and host provincial, national and international sporting events.”
According to a 2024 Carleton overview of the proposed centre, the 50-metre pool would have 10 lanes for swim competitions, a separate 25-metre pool with a diving tower, a public meeting space and dedicated study areas. The building would be between the university’s current Sportsplex and Bronson Avenue.
Carleton’s current swimming pool is 25 metres in length and divided into six lanes. The facility opened in the 1970s and was renovated in 2014. The pool was also built in the era before electronic timing, so the Ravens varsity swimming team can only host friendly contests because judges are using stopwatches operated by hand.
The university’s Capital Plan for 2025-26 includes few specific details about the new aquatic centre and wellness hub, but states : “The building offers a new progressive service model which brings together health, wellness and research entities while creating a gateway to the Carleton campus along Bronson Avenue, as well as connecting the university to the broader city of Ottawa. It will be a learning facility that reflects diverse needs, interests and identities with the campus community.”
Since the initial announcement, the first phase of non-binding discussions between the two parties has remained confidential.
A slow path to construction
Former city councillor Mathieu Fleury, now president of the city-funded Ottawa Sport Council, said the city’s 2021 Parks and Recreation Master Plan highlighted the need for a major upgrade to the capital’s aquatics infrastructure.
At the time, the strategy looked at where facilities such as pools, community centres and fields were needed to optimize community access and to ensure there was adequate capacity for a rapidly growing city.
“We recognize Ottawa will never host the Olympic Games, but we still want to make sure local athletes can develop, learn, compete and grow in their sport,” said Fleury. “A pool is a key piece of that infrastructure.”
Following the publishing of Ottawa’s 2024 master plan, new development proposals were approved by the city.
Fleury said the City of Ottawa began collecting development charges to partner on a 50-metre pool.
At the time, both the University of Ottawa and Carleton University submitted proposals, and Carleton’s plan was selected by the city for a potential partnership.
Until Wednesday’s council motion, however, only silence had surrounded the project.
Fleury says the proposed facility is taking too long to come to fruition, especially since the city has already set aside money for its construction.
“As a swimmer and someone who wants to see this infrastructure built, and knowing the funding exists, it’s been slow,” he said. “Advancing the project to construction has taken much longer than expected.”
With aging infrastructure, the need becomes urgent
According to a report by the Aquatic Sport Council of Ontario, the province is falling behind its counterparts across Canada when it comes to the construction of 50-metre pools.
In Ontario, only four 50-metre pools have been built across the province since 2000.
A lack of funding and the withdrawal of local authorities from the development of additional swimming pools is leading to aging infrastructure that cannot meet the growing demand.
The City of Ottawa has only one 50-metre pool, which is located at the Nepean Sportsplex. This aging facility was built in the 1970s and no longer meets the standards required to host provincial or even high-level regional competitions.
Fleury says aging facilities represent a burden for the city because they are costly to repair, maintain and bring up to present-day standards.
“I’m a believer that infrastructure built in the 1960s and 1970s is, in many cases, at the end of their lives and need full replacement,” he said.
“If you want a collaboration between Carleton University and the City of Ottawa, you can’t have that partnership on one side of Bronson and continue operating an aging community pool — like Brewer pool — on the other,” he added.
In June, during discussions on Ottawa’s long-range financial plan, Menard said the city faces a $229-million annual infrastructure funding gap.
Options discussed to address the shortfall include a dedicated infrastructure levy and the sale of city-owned facilities.
A motion to move forward
Council’s approval of the Menard motion finally means moving forward with the estimated state-of-the-art swimming and wellness hub.
Menard highlighted Carleton University’s willingness to cooperate and stressed the importance of meeting the increasing demand for aquatic facilities. The proposed facility could also help Ottawa Tourism by attracting more visitors through sporting events and creating more opportunity for high-performance sport and community recreation.
The MOU would summarize the roles and governance between the two partners. It will also allow the City of Ottawa and Carleton University to come up with a more “refined design and financial model”, “value engineering”, and “updated cost estimates”.
Menard also indicated that the MOU does not guarantee any “construction, final capital funding, or binding agreements” with Carleton. He said the next city council — following October’s municipal elections — will be in charge of approving any construction or other concrete steps forward for the project.
