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ICYMI: This is the huge rec facility that will replace CG Brown Pool and Burnaby Lake Arena

Burnaby’s CG Brown Pool is no more, and the city has big plans for a new recreation centre that will replace it.

Author

Simran Singh
April 16, 2023

Burnaby Lake Aquatic and Arena Facility

A rendering of the new Burnaby Lake Aquatic and Arena Facility. (HCMA)

In case you missed it, Burnaby’s CG Brown Pool is no more, and the city has big plans for a new recreation centre that will replace it.

So what exactly is going on with this development?

The new complex will be known as the Burnaby Lake Aquatic and Arena Facility, which the city says will “better meet the community’s needs.”

CG Brown Pool and Burnaby Lake Arena were built in the 1960s and due to their age, these facilities had “reached the end of their useful lives and no longer satisfy community needs and expectations,” according to the city.

The architectural layout of the Burnaby Lake Aquatic and Arena Facility. (HCMA)

Replacing the pool and rink is part of the city’s massive $504 million redevelopment plan to complete five major new facilities (which include Cameron Recreation Centre and Library, Confederation Park Community Centre, Rosemary Brown Arena, and designing a new community centre for Brentwood Town Centre) by 2027.

The Burnaby Lake Aquatic and Arena Facility is slated to cost $187M and is designed by HCMA Architecture.

The facility will feature an NHL-sized arena pad with five change rooms, a skate shop and 200 spectator seats.

A rendering of the NHL-sized arena at the Burnaby Lake Aquatic and Arena Facility. (HCMA)

The aquatic centre will feature an Olympic-sized 50m pool with recreational diving facilities, zero-barrier entry to all three (25m, leisure, and family-sized hot) pools, a wellness zone, sauna, and steam room, and 750 seats.

Rendering of the new Burnaby Lake Aquatic and Arena Facility. (HCMA)

Rendering of the Olympic-sized pool at the Burnaby Lake Aquatic and Arena Facility. (HCMA)

The facility will also have multi-purpose rooms, a cafe, a sports hall of fame display area, indoor and outdoor social areas, public art displays, and ample underground and surface parking areas.

A rendering of the outside of the Burnaby Lake Aquatic Centre and Arena Facility. (HCMA)

The demolition progress of CG Brown Pool as of April 11. (City of Burnaby)

The demolition of CG Brown began on April 6 and will continue until the end of May.

The city says the Burnaby Lake Arena will remain open for patrons while construction for the Rosemary Brown Arena located at 10th Avenue and 18th Street continues.

The Rosemary Brown Arena had an initial completion date of fall 2021 but that has now been pushed to fall 2023, according to the city.

In February, the city said it finished pouring the concrete rink slabs in the facility, which will form the base for ice sports, lacrosse, and inline hockey.