St. James swim team losing home pool to renovations until 2026 as Winnipeg faces wave of closures

A Winnipeg swim team has been left treading water as its home pool has once again closed for long-term renovations, and the closure of three more pools looms this fall.  

Josh Koldon, head coach of the St. James Seals, said the club will likely see its numbers drop as swimmers and coaches are forced to abandon the St. James Civic Centre Pool and drive across the city to find dwindling pool space. 

This season, the team has 85 swimmers, ranging from age four to 19. Koldon said the club had to rebuild its numbers after the civic centre pool was closed from April 2020 to September 2022 for building upgrades. The COVID-19 pandemic also impacted pool availability over that period. 

"Being prepared to lose those numbers, it sucks. It's heartbreaking," Koldon said. 

"We probably won't have a designated home pool for the next couple of years."

The civic centre pool closed to the public on Sunday and won't reopen until the fall of 2026. The recreation centre, which was built in 1967, will get a new multipurpose room, additional meeting rooms, a new kitchen, an upgraded pool viewing area and shared program space for seniors, along with upgrades to the centre's auditorium and its parking lot.

The city said the Seven Oaks, Elmwood-Kildonan and Margaret Grant pools are set for temporary closures in the fall, while the Bonivital pool remains closed for building renewal upgrades. The city has not shared details about closure timelines.

The Cindy Klassen pool is currently closed for a circulation pump replacement, but the city said it is expected to reopen in the coming days. 

WATCH | City faces wave of pool closures:

Wave of Winnipeg pool closures ripples through swim community

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Several Winnipeg pools are now closed for repairs, renovations or replacement, leaving some swimmers concerned they could be left out to dry. The city says more work is scheduled for the fall, and it's trying to plan upgrades to minimize impacts on recreation facilities.

The St. James Assiniboia Centennial Pool will remain open as the nearby civic centre closes for at least 14 months, which might mean busier lanes for swimmers at that pool. 

William Anderson, 14, swims there every Wednesday, and said pool access is important to him. However, he's not concerned about more swimmers joining him at his home pool. 

"I think I'll be fine," he said. 

As registration for the summer session of city-run swim lessons opened to the public Tuesday, the city said there are still many spaces available in classes, despite pool closures. 

The closure of the civic centre pool comes just over two months after the University of Manitoba had a serious leak at its pool and was forced to drain it in an emergency closure.

Raman Dhaliwal, associate vice-president of administration at the U of M, said the leak is beyond repair and the 60-year-old Joyce Fromson Pool will be replaced. 

The pool is the designated practice space for the Bisons swim team. It is also used by students and the wider community for swim lessons and regular swim programming.

The U of M pool is not expected to reopen until the spring of 2026, leaving university athletes without a home pool to train at. 

"The faculty is looking for alternative places for the Bison swim team to continue with their programming," Dhaliwal said. 

St. James Seals coach Koldon said the long-term pool closures at U of M and the civic centre, coupled with the upcoming temporary closures at multiple pools across the city this fall, will make finding lane space in Winnipeg a competitive sport. 

"There's going to be a lot of people looking for what space is available, and it'll be hard to divvy up who gets what," he said. 

"It takes a hit from everybody, not just us."