Saanich Commonwealth Place
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
The Saanich Commonwealth Place was designed as both a community center for the City of Saanich and an aquatic venue for the 1994 Commonwealth Games, commissioned by the Victoria Commonwealth Games Society. It has now become one of the city’s main attractions.
When completed, the 132,000 sq. ft. facility was the world’s most advanced aquatic competition venue of its time with state-of-the art features including:
- 50-meter pool competition pool
- Two bulkheads
- 50-meter diving pool with diving tower with 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10-meter diving and three one-meter diving boards
The leisure area with waterslide, wave pool, swirl pool, waterspray, and a “West Coast” theme, including waterfalls, tree ropes, totems, and poolside café .
The centerpiece of the leisure pool is showcased by a shipwrecked red, white, and blue galleon. The boat dumps water over swimmers from a crow’s nest and shoots water from cannons, strategically placed on all sides.
In addition to the aquatic components, the building also houses a library, restaurant, multi-purpose rooms, gymnasium, aerobics and weight lifting studios.
