One of Prince George’s most popular facilities is celebrating a milestone this month. The Prince George Aquatic Centre is turning 20 years old.
During the 1993 General Local Election, voters in Prince George voted 8815 to 2652 (nearly 77 percent) in favour of the City borrowing the funds necessary to build a second aquatics facility – in addition to the Four Seasons Leisure Pool. The Prince George Aquatic Centre first opened its doors to the public on December 18, 1998.
20 years and more than five million visits later, the Aquatic Centre plays an essential role in ensuring Prince George residents have a place to learn to swim, stay active, and have fun. The City estimates that 275,000 visitors per year use the facility as part of swimming clubs, for swimming lessons, or to just drop in for a splash.
Residents can pick up the latest Active Living Guide to find a copy of a vintage colouring sheet, which was originally printed in 1998 to mark the opening of the Aquatic Centre. Visitors who colour in the sheet and drop it off at the Aquatic Centre by the end of the day on December 15 will be entered into a draw to win a 20th Anniversary sport bag. The winner will be announced on December 16.
The Aquatic Centre features include a 50-metre pool, a wave pool, diving boards, and an on-site fitness centre. Further information about the Aquatic Centre, as well as aquatics services in Prince George, is available at http://princegeorge.ca/aquatics.
Fun fact: The main pool at the Aquatic Centre holds over 2.3 million litres of water.