SURREY Mayor Brenda Locke and the Surrey Connect team on Tuesday announced plans to build a new multi-use aquatic centre in Cloverdale, delivering enhanced swimming and water safety facilities for families across Surrey.
The announcement was made at a media event held outside the Clayton Community Centre, where Locke highlighted the Surrey Connect-led Council’s strong record of delivering major community infrastructure projects.
“Over the past four years, our Surrey Connect-led City Council has kept infrastructure front of mind,” said Locke. “We’ve delivered the Bear Creek Stadium, broken ground on the Newton Community Centre, announced a 10,000-seat arena in City Centre, built the new Nicomekl Riverfront Park, upgraded parks citywide, expanded 64 Avenue, and delivered two new ice rinks in Cloverdale with a third underway. We’re also building a 200,000 square foot convention centre and new turf fields in Cloverdale.”
“Today, we are making a big announcement that will change how families access swimming right here in Cloverdale,” Locke said. “When our Surrey Connect Team is re-elected, we will build a new aquatic centre for Cloverdale. This won’t just be a pool — our goal is a multi-use aquatic facility tailored for the many families in Surrey, with initial concepts including a water park, therapeutic areas, and spaces designed for children learning to swim.”
The announcement aligns with National Drowning Prevention Week (July 19–25). Locke noted that Surrey Connect has already delivered free City swimming lessons for the first three levels of swim lessons, and that making swimming accessible for children in Surrey will help kids learn how to be safe around and on the water.
“We aren’t going to just build something for the community without hearing from the community,” said Locke. “We are committed to a vigorous public consultation process to ensure the right mix of leisure and lane swimming. As part of this process, we will conduct a study of the best location for the facility, including the Clayton area and other nearby city-owned lands.”
The new facility will help address high demand at existing pools, such as the Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre, while providing Cloverdale residents with a convenient local option.
Regarding project details, Locke emphasized fiscal responsibility and community input. “While our team and City staff are working hard to keep our City’s books in excellent condition, we also need to respond to clear community need. There will be money in the budget for this project. We will consult residents to determine exactly what this project will look like and where it will be located. Once the public consultation process is complete and the location is finalized, we want to get shovels in the ground right away.”
