Is the water where the swimming deck is planned suitable for swimming?
Yes. Water quality at Waterfront Park has been tested since 2024 and results show it has been consistently suitable for swimming, meeting or exceeding health standards.
Swim Drink Fish has been conducting water quality monitoring at Waterfront Park during the 2024, 2025, and 2026 summer swimming seasons and during the off-season in 2025 and 2026.
To be deemed suitable for swimming, bacteria levels in the water must be below levels set by health authorities.
The results show the water at the site has consistently met or exceeded the standards for swimming established by the Federal Government through Health Canada’s Guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality and the Province of British Columbia’s Recreational Water Quality Guidelines. For more detailed testing results, please visit Swim Drink Fish’s Water Quality at Waterfront Park page.
Who decides what water is suitable for swimming?
Health Canada's Guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality serve as a national scientific benchmark, while the day-to-day oversight, monitoring, and direct public health management of recreational waters are handled by local authorities.
In the Metro Vancouver area, and for the Harbour Swim Deck, this will be a collaborative effort between Metro Vancouver (MV) and Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH).
The Metro Vancouver Beaches Water Quality Team collects weekly water samples and analyzes for E.coli levels. MV provides the test results to VCH who then evaluates the safety risks and issues public swimming advisories when bacteria levels are unsafe.
What kind of testing has been done at the Harbour Swim Deck site?
Swim Drink Fish is testing for E. coli, a bacteria used to indicate the presence of fecal contamination in the water.
Bacterial indicators (E.coli) are the most relevant measure for swimmer health because they are more directly associated with acute illness risks to swimmers. E.coli levels were consistently below the health authority threshold of 200 CFU/100 mL.
Testing included wet and dry weather and high and low tides, confirming stable, reliable results.
In 2024, Swim Drink Fish also conducted a review of existing studies to assess the presence of contaminants in Burrard Inlet and evaluate whether their concentrations pose a risk to recreational activities in the area. Review of these reports saw that none of the contaminants exceeded their associated screening benchmarks and that the low concentration of contaminants in the water column do not pose any acute risk to human health for the purposes of recreational swimming.
To learn more please visit Swim Drink Fish’s Water Quality at Waterfront Park page.
Why do bacteria levels change?
Environmental conditions like rain and temperature can all influence levels of bacteria. Rainfall and stormwater runoff can carry bacteria from urban parks and other land surfaces into the water. This is the reason Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) recommends avoiding swimming in any open waters for 48 hours after heavy rains.
What about other contaminants such as chemicals?
In 2024, Swim Drink Fish conducted a review of existing studies to assess the presence of contaminants in Burrard Inlet and evaluate whether their concentrations pose a risk to recreational activities in the area. The contaminants examined included heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and contaminants of emerging concern (CECs).
The review concluded that while these contaminants have possible adverse effects to human health through the consumption of fish and shellfish, the low concentration of the contaminants in the water column do not pose any acute risk to human health for the purposes of recreational swimming. Download and read the full review here.
In July of 2026, Swim Drink Fish undertook additional water quality testing and analysis from a chemical perspective and again the results have shown that the proposed site off of Waterfront Park is suitable for swimming with the non bacteria chemical analysis results well within the BC Recreational Water Quality Guidelines. This information will also be used to support the City of North Vancouver’s operational safety plan and spill response protocols. Download and read the full report here.
How will the water quality be monitored?
Consistent with other ocean swimming areas in the region, Metro Vancouver (MV) monitors recreational water quality through a collaborative sampling and laboratory analysis program focused on bacterial indicators. During the summer season from May to September, MV tests local beaches and swim areas at least once a week to ensure the water is suitable for activities like swimming.
Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) is responsible for evaluating the results gathered by MV and issuing public health advisories as needed.
The City will work closely with MV and VCH in regards to water testing at Waterfront Park to support the Harbour Swimming Deck project.
For more information on water that is suitable for swimming and what that means, visit Swim Drink Fish’s Water Quality at Waterfront Park page.
What kind of ongoing monitoring will be done?
Water quality monitoring will continue. Swim Drink Fish will continue to monitor E. coli levels and post results on its Water Quality at Waterfront Park page.
Once the Harbour Deck is open, Metro Vancouver (MV), in partnership with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), will test Waterfront Park as part of its recreational water quality monitoring program and results will be available on MV and VCH's websites.
Why Waterfront Park?
The water area directly adjacent to Waterfront Park was identified as a site for the swimming deck given the existing City water lot lease agreement with the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA) that permits recreational use. The location is also close to a large population that currently do not have beach or ocean access – 20,000 people live within a 10-minute walk of Waterfront Park.
The location provides access via the SeaBus, local transit, and the Spirit Trail. The site’s existing infrastructure, including washrooms with potential for expansion and increased accessibility, is well-suited to support a swimming deck including dedicated on-land spaces to host change rooms, showers, and social areas with seating and shade. The park also offers opportunities for activities and programming like food trucks and other vendors. This south-facing location has suitable water depths, calm waters, and summer water temperatures averaging 20 degrees.
Where else have Swim Drink Fish partnered with municipalities to build swimming infrastructure in Canada?
City of Kingston, Ontario. Learn more by visiting the project webpage.
Will there be an admission cost?
Entrance to the future Harbour Swimming Deck will be free. If demands exceed the space on the swim deck the City may implement a booking system for multi-hour time slots. These could be booked online with some drop-in spaces remaining available. The details of the operations plan for the Harbour Swimming Deck will be developed in the coming months.
What about boat traffic?
The swimming deck will include a clear buoy line marking the swimming boundaries. This will manage boat traffic and debris. The City is working with the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA) and adjacent neighbours to ensure all aspects of boating and swimming safety are considered.
Will the swimming deck be accessible?
Yes! Accessibility is a key priority when creating this new public space.
The swimming deck will include features such as a fully accessible ramp connecting the park to the swimming deck, various wayfinding elements, and easy-entry points for all abilities.
What are you doing to manage the anticipated increase in visitors to the area?
The swimming deck is conveniently located close to the Lonsdale Quay bus exchange and the SeaBus which encourages walking and rolling. Off-street parking is available for hundreds of cars within a 5-10 minute walk or roll of Waterfront Park.
Site planning in the next phase of work will layout social spaces, areas for pop-up food and beverage, wayfinding, change rooms, shower areas, bike parking and queuing areas. This work will be done with the aim of creating welcoming public spaces while ensuring that access to the swimming deck from multiple entry points is clear, safe, and designed to minimize potential conflicts between users.
How will the swimming deck be funded?
Led by the City of North Vancouver, the swimming deck project is made possible through a partnership with the national environmental non-profit Swim Drink Fish, supported by a generous donation from the Weston family and additional funding from the City of North Vancouver.
The full estimated cost of the project is $21million. Swim Drink Fish Canada, with support from their funders, The Weston Family, will contribute $16million. The City of North Vancouver is contributing $5 million.
This $5 million is contributed through Development Cost Charges (DCCs) from developers and a 1% contribution from the City’s Civic Amenities Fund. The DDCs help offset the cost of providing new infrastructure related to development. They help build transportation, utilities, parks, and protective facilities, and in this case, park improvements.
Why wouldn’t the City just invest in an outdoor swimming pool?
The delivery of a public swimming amenity is of substantial benefit to the City of North Vancouver and offers exceptional value for money. When you look at the combination of cost to purchase land, an average infrastructure spend for a regional pool at $30-50 million (Mundy in Coquitlam $32 million) and operational costs related to HVAC, pool water maintenance etc, this cost benefit becomes clearer.
The City has been able to leverage a partnership and the recreational water lease with the VPFA to create a place where the public can swim outdoors without taking up valuable park space at Waterfront Park
The concept design includes 3x 50m swim lanes in addition to leisure swim areas. The City of North Vancouver will be working with partners to develop and assess swimming lessons and other related programs.
What maintenance would the deck require?
Daily maintenance will include all aspects of cleaning expected for an outdoor ocean swimming facility, daily cleaning of decks and public areas, ladders, ramps and removing bird droppings and any floating debris as needed. Specialised/annual maintenance will include: inspections of the deck structure, mooring system (annually and after a storm event), ongoing care of the cladding (sanding, refinishing, replacement of individual boards), repair and inspection of the gangway, annual deep cleaning of the aluminium components like ladders and railings and the buoy lines, lane ropes and anchors.
Will there be 24/7 security or staff on hand to ensure members of the public don’t get injured?
The approach to site security will be determined through the development of the Operating Plan. The deck’s proposed hours of operation will change seasonally to reflect daylight hours from dawn till dusk. It will be closed to the public outside these hours with security that ensures no access. The City of North Vancouver will be working with a range of provincial groups like the Lifesaving Society of BC, to ensure we follow leading practices for outdoor swimming safety.
Will lighting be a consideration in the darker months?
The swim deck will be operating during daylight hours only and the concept design does not include any utility connections to the deck itself – so no lighting or water connections have been considered.
Waterfront Park is currently an alcohol-allowed zone, will this change?
This policy will be reviewed given the nature of this project. There are numerous ways to encourage responsible drinking and also ensure community safety. This is an issue we will explore further with internal and external interest holders and subject matter experts. Some of the most popular beaches in the Lower Mainland like Kits Beach, Jericho Beach among others allow alcohol.
Will people actually swim in the cold water?
We understand that ocean swimming is not for everyone. For many, a swimming pool provides a controlled, predictable environment with consistent temperatures and calm water. In contrast, the ocean introduces unpredictable elements like tides, waves, and cold temperatures. We have heard from many that the opportunity to be on and close to the water is as fun as being in the water, and this has been observed at many of the global swimming decks that have been in operation for years.
We have also heard concerns about the risk of cold-water swimming. The Harbour Swim Deck operations plan and facility design will address managing these risks with elements such as:
- Controlled access
- Informational signage outlining risks
- Clear posting of daily temperatures
- Designated swim zones
- Designing in gradual entry (acclimatization) structures (e.g. ramps, stairs, and ladders)
- Inclusion of shallow pool for children, beginner swimmers and waders
- Recommending the use of wetsuits in winter season.
Staff will be working closely with water safety experts in developing this plan.
When comparing Waterfront Park water temperatures to other North Shore natural swimming areas, the Waterfront Park location is similar in temperatures at Deep Cove (17°C to 20°C) and exceed the water temperatures at Ambleside Beach (14°C to 16°C).
In addition, natural cold-water immersion—often coupled with saunas—has become a worldwide health trend. For some, the deck will bridge this gap, offering close, safe access to the water for casual lounging or quick dipping without a full swim. For others, it serves as a launchpad for an invigorating ocean water experience. Ultimately, the deck will provide a vibrant waterside environment to rest, gather, socialize, and recreate.
When will the project be complete?
At this time, we anticipate the swimming deck to be opening in 2027. Timelines are subject to change pending external factors e.g. permits from external authorities, supply chain and material lead times.