Harbour Swimming Deck: Water safe for swimming, CNV report says

The City of North Vancouver will move ahead with plans for a floating swimming deck off Waterfront Park, saying two years of water quality testing shows the site is consistently suitable for swimming.

According to a new staff report on the project, E. coli levels in the water are consistently below limits set by local authorities, and contaminants were found at low or undetectable concentrations that the City claims pose no acute risk to swimmers. Water quality was the top concern raised by residents in the City’s public engagement.

The Harbour Swimming Deck would cover roughly 1,000 square metres of Burrard Inlet in front of Waterfront Park, with up to 700 square metres of protected swimming areas, at least three 50-metre swim lanes, a shallow pool with a sloped accessible entry, jumping platforms and a cold plunge. Entry would be free, with hours from dawn to dusk as much as possible year-round, according to the report.

The project began in late 2023, when the national not-for-profit Swim Drink Fish approached the City with a proposal to explore a swimming deck at the site. The organization funded a feasibility study conducted through 2024 and the first half of 2025, and also carried out the water quality testing cited in the report.

The estimated capital cost is $21 million. A $16 million donation from the Weston family, through their family foundations and their relationship with Swim Drink Fish, covers the majority, with the City contributing $5 million from developer cost charges. Once the facility opens, estimated in 2027, the City becomes responsible for operating costs, which the report pegs at $700,000 to $800,000 per year.

Early results from city-wide public engagement show two-thirds of participants said they would use the deck. Along with water quality, residents raised concerns about municipal spending, increased noise at the park, and parking access. Access to water, lane swimming and sunbathing were the features participants said they were most interested in.

Construction has not been approved. The report says the project must first receive a development permit from the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, which holds the water lot where the deck would sit, as well as approval from Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Design development, public consultation and engagement with the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations are planned before a permit application is made.

The City says the deck’s design addresses the risks of cold-water swimming through controlled entry points, designated swim zones, a shallow pool for children and beginners, gradual-entry structures, risk signage and daily temperature postings. The report compares water temperatures at the site to Deep Cove, at 17 C to 20 C, and says they exceed those at Ambleside Beach, which range from 14 C to 16 C.

A response plan to detect and manage incident-based health risks is in development, and ongoing E. coli monitoring will be conducted by Metro Vancouver in partnership with Vancouver Coastal Health, the report says.

Staff are expected to return to Council with a draft operations plan in 2027.