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Updated Feb. 12, 2025
Members of the community have shown continued interest in the status of McKinnon Pool, given the age and availability of aquatics facilities throughout the region.
In August 2024, President and Vice-Chancellor Kevin Hall committed to hiring external consultants to provide a comprehensive condition evaluation to provide a detailed estimate of the work that would be needed to reopen the pool for up to another three to five years.
Previous assessments of the pool have focused on upgrades and remediation for structural, above-ground elements. With the pool drained and closed since September 2024, the comprehensive condition evaluation of the facility includes mechanical systems and equipment, architectural, structural and electrical systems.
Results of the comprehensive condition evaluation
External consultants have completed their comprehensive condition evaluation of the McKinnon Pool. The scope of this work includes identifying required repairs and upgrades, in order of priority, that would be needed to extend the life of the pool for another three to five years.
The evaluation outlines the priority items and their estimated costs, assuming a February 2025 project approval, with a cost range of +/-25%, depending on market and material cost fluctuations. The Class D Estimate forecasts a cost of $5.1 million plus GST.
The assessment is focused on like-for-like maintenance and doesn't address issues, such as aging infrastructure, accessibility, energy performance and compliance with current BC Building Codes.
It’s important to note the estimate does not factor in development or ongoing operating costs. The assessment contemplates the scope of work that would be needed to allow for a three- to five-year reopening once repairs and upgrades to the pool are complete. It does not account for any timeline beyond five years, or other potential project risks, including upgrading the pool facility to meet modern seismic requirements. Additional exclusions are listed on page 4 of the Class D Estimate.
If you have accessibility challenges with this report, please contact: mckinnonpool@uvic.ca for assistance.
Next steps
Post-secondary institutions across Canada are facing budgetary challenges, and UVic is not immune to these. We must focus limited budget resources on areas of highest priority: research, academics and student support.
Any plans to reopen and operate McKinnon Pool, even on an interim basis, would require significant capital investment, and given other priorities, we do not have available resources to do this.
As previously stated, however, we would be willing to explore options to upgrade the facility and reopen the pool for the time required to bridge to the opening of a new regional aquatics facility, if the community comes forward with an investment to cover upgrades and operating costs. We are looking forward to connecting with government and community partners to discuss what may be possible.
Updated Jan. 18, 2025
In Fall 2024, UVic hired external consultants to provide a comprehensive condition evaluation of the McKinnon Pool; this work is nearing completion. The scope of this work will allow UVic to gain a holistic picture of the state of the McKinnon Pool facility and the recommended improvements that would be required to safely reopen the pool for an additional three to five years.
These facility condition assessments – including mechanical systems and equipment, architectural, structural and electrical systems – will provide greater detail on the scope of work, timelines and costs that will be required to keep the McKinnon Pool operating. The results of these more comprehensive assessments will help UVic determine the appropriate next steps for the pool, while longer-term regional options can be fully explored, including responding to public offers of fundraising support and partnerships opportunities.
The McKinnon Pool is 50 years old and is nearing the end of its planned life. As has been noted previously, UVic does not have additional funding available in our current fiscal environment to cover the anticipated remediation and operational costs. However, if the costs of remediation and reopening are not prohibitive from a fundraising and partnership perspective, UVic would welcome working with those who have shared their willingness to support the university in operating the pool on an interim basis.
Updated Nov. 27, 2024
Work on the McKinnon Pool’s comprehensive condition evaluation is nearing completion. We anticipate receiving the results and recommendations soon and will share updates with our community as they are available in the new year.
Updated Oct. 11, 2024
UVic has awarded the contract for the comprehensive condition evaluation, and it is proceeding as planned.
Updated Sept. 12, 2024
As communicated this summer, the university has proceeded with the closure of the McKinnon pool to conduct a more detailed engineering study and develop a comprehensive understanding of the work needed to safely reopen the pool for the next three to five years. The University has identified a multidisciplinary team of architects and engineers who specialize in aquatic systems to carry out this study. Part of the study will include some testing at the base of the pool. As such, on Thursday, September 19th, the pool will be drained, and safety guard rails are being installed around the perimeter of the pool so that this work can proceed.
Currently, we expect the results of this study prior to the end of the calendar year. It will provide greater detail, and further cost estimates to add to the surveys and structural engineering reports already in hand, and will confirm the investment required to keep the McKinnon Pool operating for three to five years as an interim solution, while longer-term options can be fully explored. We will determine the appropriate next steps for the pool based on the results of this study.
The University will continue to provide updates regarding the McKinnon pool as information becomes available.
Questions related to updates about the McKinnon pool should be sent to mckinnonpool@uvic.ca
Q. Why did UVic close the McKinnon Pool on September 15? Will it reopen?
UVic must address the issue of aging infrastructure, which is not unique to our institution and reflects a broader challenge nationally. The McKinnon Pool is nearing the end of its anticipated lifespan and facing a multitude of challenges that, if not addressed promptly, threaten the safety of its users and its continued operation.
UVic hired a consultant to lead a more detailed engineering study to better understand the work required to keep the pool operational for an additional 3-5 years, including cost estimates for repairs, maintenance and operations. Once we have this additional information from the multi-disciplinary team of architects and engineers, we will be better prepared to respond to explore options and public offers of support for funds to cover costs associated with keeping the pool open on an interim basis while a more permanent regional solution is identified.
Q. What were the challenges with keeping McKinnon Pool open?
At nearly 50 years old, the McKinnon Pool was at the end of its lifecycle, with increased maintenance challenges and costs just to keep it running. Results of a comprehensive condition evaluation in 2008, and a further evaluation in 2023 determined the need for significant upgrades and repairs to keep the pool operational.
In August 2024, UVic President and Vice-Chancellor Kevin Hall committed to pursuing a new comprehensive condition evaluation to gain a clearer picture of the state of the McKinnon Pool. The results of the evaluation confirm the need for significant upgrades and maintenance to the existing pool systems in order to reopen, even on an interim basis.
Q. Why did you make the decision to close the pool when you did?
A comprehensive facility analysis in 2008 indicated that McKinnon Pool was at the end of its life and required replacement. As stewards of the facility, UVic continued to maintain the pool despite escalating infrastructure issues and operating costs.
In the fall of 2023, enough cumulative structural issues were identified to warrant a briefing of senior executives outlining the immediate and longer-term upgrades and repairs needed to sustain pool operations.
Given the challenging fiscal environment that UVic and similar institutions have been facing over the past several years, it became apparent that we would no longer be able to support the cost of repairs and operations of the pool. As a result, UVic made the difficult decision to permanently close the McKinnon Pool.
Q. What efforts were made to repair or replace the pool prior to the September 15 closure?
Aging infrastructure, coupled with limited financial resources, is a challenge faced by UVic and similar facilities nationally. With no infrastructure allocation for the pool and with the pool operating at a loss annually, it was not possible to save for a new pool or for the major renovations necessary to extend the pool’s expected lifespan.
Q. What happened to plans for a pool at CARSA?
When UVic began planning for CARSA in 2008, those plans included recommendations from a comprehensive facility analysis (conducted by Yates, Thorn & Associates in 2007) that indicated the McKinnon Pool was at end of life and required replacement.
The design of CARSA included plans for a 50-metre pool, including changerooms and mechanical space that were incorporated into the building’s layout. At the time, budget for the pool was not included as a priority in the first phase of development.
Phase one focused on the completion of CARSA, and despite efforts, fundraising attempts to support Phase 2 and the building of a new aquatic facility were unsuccessful.
Q. Why isn’t replacing McKinnon Pool a priority for UVic?
While we understand the need for aquatic facilities in the region, we made the difficult decision to close McKinnon Pool in fall 2024. The changing environment over subsequent years (both global and local) means other priorities and capital projects at UVic have become a higher priority. These include new student housing – also a priority in the region – as well as developing outlying university lands.
Current status and actions
Q. What is the current status of the pool?
External consultants have completed their comprehensive condition evaluation of the McKinnon Pool. The scope of this work includes identifying required repairs and upgrades, in order of priority, that would be needed to extend the life of the pool for another three to five years.
Q. Why is the new estimate so much higher than the original one?
Previous pool assessments, including one from 2023, have focused on upgrades and remediation for structural, above-ground elements. With the pool drained and closed since September 2024, the comprehensive condition evaluation of the facility includes mechanical systems and equipment, architectural, structural and electrical systems.
The comprehensive condition evaluation is focused on like-for-like maintenance and doesn't address issues, such as aging infrastructure, accessibility, energy performance and compliance with current BC Building Codes, nor does it factor in development or ongoing operating costs.
The assessment contemplates the scope of work that would be needed to allow for a three- to five-year reopening once repairs and upgrades to the pool are complete. It does not account for any timeline beyond five years, or other potential project risks, including upgrading the pool facility to modern seismic requirements. Given this, the total project costs, should this work proceed, are likely to come in much higher than the estimated $5.1 million plus GST.
Q. How did UVic reach the initial estimate of approximately $1.5 million? There is some question about the validity of the math.
The McKinnon Pool was facing a multitude of challenges that, if not addressed promptly, threatened the safety of its users and its continued operation. This prioritized list of issues served as a guide for decision-makers to determine whether to allocate funds and resources to conduct immediate repairs.
In 2023, UVic staff conducted an estimate of repairs needed to address McKinnon Pool’s aging infrastructure. Cost estimates in 2023 dollars suggested a required investment in the order of magnitude of approximately $1,525,000. This did not include additional consulting, contingency or other soft costs.
Life Safety and Regulatory Compliance Measures (mandatory to keep operational):
TOTAL: $1.525 million
While this estimate accounts for needed structural repairs, the comprehensive condition evaluation (completed in 2024) included estimated costs for all work, scaled by priority, across mechanical systems, and equipment, architectural, structural and electrical systems.
Q. Is UVic considering proceeding with upgrades to reopen McKinnon Pool?
Post-secondary institutions across Canada are facing budgetary challenges, and UVic is not immune to these. We must focus its limited resources on areas of highest priority: research, academics and student supports.
Any plans to reopen and operate McKinnon Pool, even on an interim basis, would require significant capital investment, and given other priorities, we do not have available resources to do this.
As previously stated, however, we would be willing to explore options to upgrade the facility and reopen the pool if the community comes forward with an investment to cover upgrades and operating costs. We are looking forward to connecting with government and community partners to discuss what may be possible.
Q. What are UVic’s longer-term plans with respect to an aquatics facility?
UVic’s infrastructure needs are outlined in our Five-Year Capital Plan, which is approved by UVic’s Board of Governors and shared with the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills to ensure alignment with provincial priorities. Our priority is currently focused on student housing to help address the housing shortage in our community.
There is opportunity for a new pool at CARSA. Since opening in 2015, CARSA has been a community hub for athletics and recreation resources and facilities. CARSA was originally designed with an aquatic facility to replace the aging McKinnon facility, including a 50-metre competition pool at an estimated cost of $25 million (at the time, and not accounting for inflation or rising costs of materials and labour).
Although we were unable to secure funding (donor or otherwise) at the time of construction, an area was designed, plumbed and reserved for a pool should priorities and funding change in the future. UVic would welcome a modern and accessible aquatics facility for our student athletes and community at CARSA.
Several other post-secondary institutions in British Columbia have municipally operated aquatics facilities located on their campuses, with students, faculty and staff able to access the facility with their ONECard equivalents. This is a potential model that UVic would be willing to explore for CARSA with our municipal and regional partners.
Q. Are there any new resources or facilities being provided in September?
UVic launched the CARSA Active Space in September 2024. This recently renovated, open-concept space in CARSA provides members a place to move, stretch and breathe. Members can access the new Active Space without additional fees.
All students are also welcome to attend Vikes Nation events. Please continue to check the web page for new and upcoming events.
Q. What about the rest of the McKinnon Building? Is it also reaching the end of its life?
Access to McKinnon’s change rooms, washrooms and showers continue to be available to commuters to campus, as well as to students, staff, faculty, and sport groups who participate in classes and programs in the McKinnon Gym.
Sections of the McKinnon Building were renovated in 2016 to create teaching and research space for the School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education, which will not be impacted.
Engineering assessments
Q. Has an assessment been done before? What was the decision-making process and who was consulted?
In 2023, UVic engineering staff with experience caring for the McKinnon Pool conducted an assessment of the pool, which revealed significant remediation requirements to keep the pool operational even on a short-term basis. To support this assessment, Facilities Management hired an external engineering firm for a targeted structural assessment (roof structure, walls and other above-grade level elements). A summary report was provided to university leadership to support decision making that led to the pool closure on September 15, 2024.
With the pool nearing the end of its expected lifespan, remediation requirements were greater than expected, both in terms of cost and time. As well, the number of emergency shutdowns to deal with escalating remediation needs has increased in recent years.
Q. What is the cost to keep the pool open? Is it a one-time $1.5 million?
The McKinnon Pool, at 50 years old, is nearing the end of its planned lifespan. Short-term, to maintain the minimum safety standards to keep the pool operational, the structural engineering summary conducted in 2023 estimated at least $1,525,000 for remediations and a several-month closure. This was a conservative estimate that did not include consulting costs, contingency costs or investments necessary for seismic upgrades or ongoing operational and maintenance costs.
The comprehensive condition evaluation is now complete and lays out, in priority order, the need for upgrades and maintenance to reopen the pool for up to an additional three to five years. The total estimate for this work is $5.1 million plus GST.
Q. Why are the windows overlooking the pool painted white?
It is standard practice for windows to be covered at a construction or renovation site to ensure privacy and safety. The white paint helps to obscure the view, preventing distractions and maintaining a secure environment for the ongoing work.
Q. Why is there a rail system surrounding the pool?
The installation of a robust rail system is a necessary safety measure as engineers undertake a detailed study. Fall protection is crucial for ensuring the safety of those conducting the assessment and for student clubs who store their equipment under the bleachers.
Pool Usage
Q. Who was actively using the pool? Where can they swim?
The McKinnon Pool was used as a secondary training location for the Vikes varsity swim program. Consultation with the varsity program leadership indicated that the varsity team conducted most of their training at Commonwealth Pool due to its 50-metre lanes. McKinnon also hosted the Pacific Coast Swimming (PCS) community youth program, student-run clubs, summer camps, and public lane swims. The varsity and PCS swim programs, along with some of the student aquatic clubs, are now operating out of Saanich Commonwealth Pool.
In recent years, based on the number of individual-booked lane swims, use of the McKinnon Pool by students, staff, faculty and community members has declined.
For example, UVic sold 42 memberships to community users during the 2023-2024 fiscal year. Community members who had memberships extending beyond the closure date received a prorated refund when the pool closed on September 15.
The Gordon Head and Oak Bay recreation centres have pool facilities near the UVic campus. Regional pools also include Crystal Pool, Saanich Commonwealth Pool, Panorama Pool, Esquimalt Recreation Centre, and Juan de Fuca Pool.
Q. What is the impact to student athletes?
Varsity athletes are now training solely at Commonwealth Pool. For several years, most of their training has been at Commonwealth Pool, as it has 50-metre competition-length lanes. In June 2024, UVic leaders and the head coach of Vikes swimming hosted an online meeting for student athletes—as primary users of the pool—to address questions and concerns related to the closure of McKinnon.
As well, UVic and the community youth program Pacific Coast Swimming (PCS) have a partnership through shared pool time at Commonwealth Pool and coaching resources. Read the PCS statement.
Q. Why has the aquatic booking system disappeared?
The pool will not re-open until the necessary renovations and remediation, as identified by the earlier review and this more detailed engineering study, are funded and completed. Therefore, McKinnon Pool is not in a position to accept aquatic bookings.
© 2025 University of Victoria, Division of Student Affairs, Vikes Athletics and Recreation