Work begins on expansions to MNP Community & Sport Centre

Construction kicked off on Wednesday for long-planned expansions to the MNP Community & Sport Centre in central Calgary.

A ceremonial groundbreaking marked the launch of the expansion, which will bring new leisure water facilities to the centre, while updating existing facilities.

The $87.5-million project will add a lazy river, hot tub, water slides, wading pool and play structure, and a dedicated viewing area for parents — all housed on the centre's west side. It will include updates to the south side with a new entryway, gathering spaces, food and beverage outlets and universal locker rooms

The centre, which opened in 1983, is also slated for upgrades to existing locker rooms and bleacher seating, as well as renovations to the facility's competition pool, dive tank and teach pool.

Jeff Booke, CEO of the MNP Community & Sport Centre, said enough funding has been raised to deliver the project, with $57.5 million from the city and $20 million from the province. They're still seeking $10 million from corporate, community and individual donors.

The construction is slated to last 2½ years, wrapping up in late 2026. Booke said the centre will remain open as much as possible throughout construction.

"Over the next 2½ years, we're going to build this remarkable facility that's going to help revitalize the downtown core, serve more people, offer more programs and services, and be a beacon for recreation and sport," Booke said.

The additions broaden the kinds of water activities the centre can host, beyond its current flatwater facilities that are primarily used for training and competition.

Heather Johnson, the city's director of recreation and social programs, emphasized the importance of investing in recreational facilities that can serve the entire community and not just high-level sports.

"We must invest further in new, modernized recreational facilities that are essential in serving Calgarians now and for generations to come," Johnson said. "We want all Calgarians to have access to the kind of facilities that MNP is and will be in a few years time as a result of this project."

Adding new facilities like the planned expansions to the MNP Centre is especially important in central Calgary as demand grows in the area for more leisure aquatic facilities.

Coun. Courtney Walcott praised the community focus in the centre's expansion, offering a place for families and young people in downtown Calgary to swim, which he noted has been an ongoing question with the closure of other pools in the area.

The nearly 70-year-old Beltline Aquatic and Fitness Centre permanently shut down its pool in 2021. This came the same year that YMCA Calgary permanently closed the doors on its Eau Claire location. The Inglewood Aquatic Centre is slated to shut down later this year, on Dec. 22.

"It takes investment into these types of places to bring people back," said Walcott, who represents Ward 8. "For a long time … there hasn't been that type of investment, and we are reaping those decisions right now in those closures, which is why we're trying to reverse course in investments like this."