Ravensong Aquatic Centre Renovation

The Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) is pleased to announce that renovations to the Ravensong Aquatic Centre (RAC) are moving forward under a revised project scope.

This renovation will directly contribute to meeting the RDN’s goal of sustained carbon neutrality by 2030 by significantly reducing energy use and lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

On May 8, 2026, the RDN received approval of the project scope change from the Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure and on July 14, 2026, the RDN Board approved the project scope for improvements at the facility with a $13.5 million budget ($7 million from Government of Canada’s Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program and $6.5 million from the centre’s capital reserve fund).

The planned renovation, which is expected to begin in the fall of 2027, will:

• deliver an estimated 47.5 per cent in annual energy savings (approximately $22,000/year) and reduce GHG emissions by about 83.9 per cent compared to the existing building;
• include improvements to heating, filtration, pumps and other building systems, as well as measures to manage climate-related risks;
• address critical building components and mechanical systems that have been identified for replacement or upgrade;
• replace the existing pool deck tile and regrade the pool deck slopes, allowing for easier and safer movement around the pool deck; and
• help reduce barriers in areas such as the lobby and changerooms, making the facility safer and easier to use. The renovations are designed to meet the Canadian Standards Association's technical standard, Accessible Design for the Built Environment and the accessibility requirements of the BC Building Code.

Next steps for the project include refining cost estimates for the renovation scope and issuing a formal market Request for Proposals.

Read the full press release here.

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At the June 12, 2025, RDN Oceanside Services Committee meeting, and the June 24, 2025, RDN Board meeting, a resolution was approved directing staff to research an alternate project scope contingent to utilizing all of the $7 million funding contribution provisionally awarded to the Ravensong Aquatic Centre Renovation project.

At the September 18, 2025, RDN Oceanside Services Committee meeting, and the October 14, 2025, RDN Board meeting, this revised project scope was approved with a total budget of $13,505,000.

Through this RDN Board direction, staff have developed and submitted a revised project application to the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) program for the Ravensong Aquatic Centre. It is expected to take approximately 6-12 months for the GICB program to review the application and provide a decision.

Following a response from the GICB program, regarding the RDN’s revised project application, RDN staff will report back to a future RDN Oceanside Services Committee and then RDN Board.

The project scope in the revised project application will focus on:

• accessibility improvements,
• sustainable green retrofit measures,
• addressing operational challenges at the facility and
• enhancing the user experience which are all eligible costs under the GICB program.

This design option increases the lifespan of the existing Ravensong Aquatic Centre and brings this important community hub up to modern accessibility standards. The proposed design would deliver an estimated annual energy savings of 46.8 per cent and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 83.9 per cent compared to the existing building. As the Ravensong Aquatic Centre is the RDN’s highest-emitting facility, these emission reductions are critical to achieving the RDN Board objective of sustained corporate carbon neutrality by 2032. The estimated energy savings also surpass the minimum 25 per cent energy reduction required for the GICB program application and are expected to save approximately $22,000/year in energy costs.

The proposed design also addresses the facility’s current overheating issues by providing a more comfortable environment for staff and facility users, improves staff and user safety and introduces system changes that will significantly reduce water consumption.

When a response is received from the GICB program and further direction is provided by the RDN Oceanside Services Committee and then RDN Board, an update will be provided on this project page and emailed to those subscribed for updates.