Bonivital Pool open again

St. Boniface

Windsor Park

Swimmers in southeast Winnipeg did not hesitate to get back into the water when Bonivital Pool re-opened on Nov. 17.

The City of Winnipeg held an official ribbon cutting to celebrate the re-opening of the newly renovated pool facility on Nov. 19. A lifeguard was on duty and half a dozen seniors swam laps and did aquatic exercises while Mayor Scott Gillingham, Coun. Vivian Santos (Point Douglas), and Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface) took questions from the press.

“Over the years, I’ve heard from ward residents that investing in pools should be a priority in St. Boniface, and I listened,” Allard said. “Personally, this pool is close to my heart. I earned my bronze medallion here. Now my children are entering these waters. This pool will continue to shape generations.”

Bonivital Pool (1215 Archibald St.) first opened in 1975. It closed on May 13, 2024, for extensive renovations, which included: main tank repair, accessibility upgrades, including new universal and gendered changing rooms and a new accessible sauna and multi-purpose room, which is incorporated into the open pool deck area; upgrades to the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), water heating system, and air handling unit; and upgrades to the lighting system, fire alarm system, and power distribution to support the upgraded mechanical system. The project cost approximately $9.88 million, which included over $4 million from the provincial government and over $5 million from the city.

“These upgrades not only modernize the facility, but make it more inclusive and accessible for everyone,” Santos said. “I’m proud to see the city and province working together to invest in community infrastructure that will serve Winnipeggers for generations to come.”

“This is part of our long-term plan to renew Winnipeg’s aging pool infrastructure so families can continue relying on modern, accessible facilities for decades to come,” Gillingham said, adding that the 2026 preliminary budget update also includes funding to develop a new outdoor aquatic centre in St. Boniface, and to keep Windsor Park Pool open for another summer.

Gillingham, who called the renovation to Bonivital Pool “long overdue” acknowledged that “closing (these) facilities for any length of time is a major disruption” for those who rely on them, and thanked the public for its patience.

The Bonivital upgrades are part of a broader strategy to replace or repair aging aquatic facilities, including an expansion of the St. James Civic Centre (2055 Ness Ave.), which is currently underway, as well as renovations to the Seven Oaks Pool (444 Adsum Dr.), which is scheduled to close on Dec. 14 and will remain closed for at least a year.

Citing the upcoming 2026 civic election, Gillingham did not say which other aging pools might be up for renovations apart from those projects already in the works.