Victorians have voted in favour of replacing the aging Crystal Pool, with preliminary referendum results showing strong support for both the project and its proposed location and borrowing the funds to construct it.
According to the City of Victoria, the final votes were counted just after 10 p.m. on Saturday, February 8th, with 9,115 residents (58.71%) voting ‘yes’ to allow the city to borrow up to $168.9 million to construct a new facility.
Meanwhile, 6,410 voters (41.29%) opposed the borrowing measure.
The referendum also asked residents to choose a preferred location for the new Crystal Pool. The majority, 7,703 voters (60.57%), selected Central Park North as their preferred site, while 5,014 (39.43%) opted for Central Park South. With this result, the new facility is set to be built on the same site as the current recreation centre.
A total of 15,547 residents participated in the referendum, representing a voter turnout of 21.18% of the 73,409 eligible voters. Ballots were tabulated from all 10 voting locations, as well as advance voting opportunities, special voting, and mail-in ballots.
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The city sought voter approval to borrow up to $168.9 million toward the estimated $215-million cost of the new facility. The cost of building at Central Park North is projected at $209.2 million.
To reduce borrowing, the city plans to allocate $30 million from its debt reduction reserve and $17 million from its parking reserve fund, bringing the borrowing requirement down to $162.9 million.
City staff will now prepare a report for council outlining the next steps in moving the project forward. If approved, construction of the new Crystal Pool is expected to take five to six years.
Councillor Jeremy Caradonna welcomed the results, calling the outcome a “watershed moment for the City and for the people of Victoria.” He emphasized that the referendum’s success gives the City a clear mandate to proceed, stating that “Victorians want the City to invest in recreation, wellbeing, health, and community.”
“It’s been twenty years of false starts on this project, and I’m proud that our Council was able to get this project to the starting line,” added Caradonna. He credited the high-quality designs and public consultation process for making the proposal compelling to voters.
Caradonna emphasized that the strong support for Central Park North should be considered binding unless new, significant information emerges. “All things being equal, we are looking at a knock-down-and-rebuild approach. Interrupted service of the aquatic program will be a challenge, but this outcome actually builds the most consensus in the community,” he stated.
To address community concerns about service disruptions, Caradonna said he will advocate for a shuttle service between Crystal Pool and a neighbouring recreation centre for the duration of construction.
The referendum result marks a significant step toward replacing the aging Crystal Pool, which has long been in need of major upgrades.
