Accessible upgrades unveiled as Bonivital Pool reopens after 18 months
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A revamped, more accessible Bonivital Pool is welcoming back swimmers, after it closed for more than a year for renovations.
The city pool at 1215 Archibald St., which was built in 1975, was shuttered from May 13, 2024 to Nov. 17, 2025 to allow for an extensive upgrade.
In a grand reopening event Wednesday, city officials noted the changes have replaced components near the end of their expected life and added many new accessibility features.
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS
Mayor Scott Gillingham is given a tour of the renovated facility, which includes universal changerooms.
“This place is going to offer some things not offered in other parts of the city,” said St. Boniface Coun. Matt Allard.
That includes the first accessible sauna at a city-operated facility, which is set to open “soon,” as well as a washroom area and shower stall equipped with an accessible lift.
“It’s quite remarkable all of the different features that are provided in this pool now for those with accessibility needs,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham.
New change rooms are now in place, along with lighting, ceiling, fire alarm, mechanical system and heating, ventilation and air conditioning system upgrades.
A classroom/multi-purpose area was also added, which can host lessons and birthday parties.
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS
Bonivital Pool (1215 Archibald St.) reopens after it underwent major renovations.
The city paid $5.36 million, while the province gave $4.52 million for the $9.88-million project.
Meanwhile, the mayor said the city’s plan to extend the life of the Windsor Park outdoor pool will continue until an outdoor aquatic facility being planned for St. Boniface is in place.
“(The date is) to be determined, but that’s the plan at this point. Next year, there will be a new council and a multi-year budget that’s established,” said Gillingham.
The mayor noted the Windsor Park pool’s future could be reconsidered if the facility suddenly suffers a major failure, depending on the repair cost.
The city’s 2024 budget originally proposed to close the outdoor pool. Following community backlash, its life was extended through summer 2025, then extended indefinitely in the city’s preliminary 2026 budget.
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS
The new sauna at Bonvital Pool.
joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca
X: @joyanne_pursaga
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS
Mayor Scott Gillingham gets a tour of the upgrades, including the universal shower room.
Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne.
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Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne.
Every piece of reporting Joyanne produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
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