Airdrie residents voiced strong support for more swim lanes, additional ice time and new recreation spaces during public engagement on the city’s future Southwest Recreation Centre — but many also raised concerns about how long it will take for those features to open.
The Southwest Recreation Centre – What We Heard report, presented to council on May 6, summarizes input from 1,416 online survey respondents, 197 open house attendees and 17 local sport user groups interviewed by Asbell Sports Management. The document outlines resident preferences across aquatics, arena design, fitness, changerooms and site use, as well as questions about phasing.
"Since 2008, the city has promised additional aquatic facilities to meet the growing demands of Airdrie," one respondent wrote. "We continue to be overlooked."
In response to public concern, the City confirmed it is reviewing the project’s phased schedule.
"We are working with finance to look at the phasing plan," said Brad Anderson, the City’s manager of recreation. "Opportunities to potentially accelerate the phasing plan or look at some other creative solutions… That is something that we’ll bring back in a separate report."
Anderson said the presentation was timed to inform council before it considers layout options.
"We deemed it appropriate to present to council in advance of the site master plan options," he said. "Because we believe there’s enough information within the What We Heard report to have a conversation on its own."
Project timeline
According to the City of Airdrie:
• 2018 – Land acquired in partnership with Mattamy Homes and Rocky View Schools
• 2021–2022 – Needs assessment completed
• June 2023 – Core amenities approved by council
• 2026–2028 – Phase 1 (aquatics/fitness) construction
• 2030–2032 – Phase 2 (arenas) scheduled to open
• 2033–2035 – Phase 3 (fieldhouse/gymnasium) projected
Aquatic design options draw strongest engagement
Three pool layouts were presented during public engagement:
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Option One – Lessons, Fitness and Therapy: 25m 10-lane pool, 4-lane teach pool, therapy pool, spray park, hot tub, cold plunge
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Option Two – Family Water Park: 25m 8-lane pool, wave pool, lazy river, tot zone, three slides
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Option Three – Aquatic Fitness + Family Play: 25m 10-lane pool, 3-lane teach pool, diving boards, lazy river, smaller leisure space
Option One was most popular overall, earning a 68 per cent "best liked" rating. Option Three rated highest for alignment with needs identified in the city’s 2022 indoor and outdoor recreation needs assessment.
"A 10 lane pool is essential. We need to be forward thinking."
"The therapy pool will help many people with disabilities who have sensory issues with regular pools."
A 50-metre pool was not presented but was requested in dozens of open-ended comments.
"Think about the kids travelling elsewhere just to use a 50m pool. Don’t be short sighted."
David Wittman, principal architect with GGA Architecture, said the desire for competitive lane swimming came primarily from organized user groups, while most leisure preferences came through public participation.
"There wasn’t really a user group that we could identify for leisure activities," Wittman said. "So that really came through in the public engagement process…"
The final pool concept will combine aspects of both Option One and Three.
"The aquatic theme option that we're going to be developing is going to put an emphasis on lane swimming and development and training needs," Wittman said. "A larger teach pool with increased lanes… an emphasis on a tot pool area, diving boards and a lazy river."
Anderson noted that community feedback is one of several factors guiding design.
"GGA is considering other background studies, our current recreation utilization rates, site assessments and information from the high school proposed plan…"
Arena design favours triple-sheet option, but event use still valued
Respondents were asked to choose between two layouts:
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Option One – Triple Arenas: 3 community-use sheets, 1,000–1,250 seats
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Option Two – Twin Arenas with Event Bowl: 2 sheets, one with 1,500–2,000 seats for larger events
Option One was preferred by 73 per cent of respondents. However, 52 per cent said they would support semi-professional or event uses.
"The more arenas, the more actual ice time our kids and community gets."
"Being able to host semi-professional sports and entertainment would be great for the city."
Option One would result in one ice sheet per 16,515 residents, while Option Two would reduce that to one per 18,874.
"Three sheets is obviously preferred compared to what would equivalently be one and a half sheets of access for minor sports," Wittman said.
Sport user groups also expressed dissatisfaction with the phased construction strategy and urged the city to complete both arena and fieldhouse phases earlier than planned.
Petrow questions site integration, transit planning and seniors’ access
Coun. Tina Petrow raised multiple concerns during the presentation, including future parking capacity and site congestion.
"People were parked all over the grass, the curbs, wherever they could park their tires," she said, referencing a taekwondo event at Genesis Place.
"How are we going to make sure that there’s adequate parking for the school, school events, events at Genesis — or whatever the new building’s called, Genesis 2, whatever it is?"
She also asked whether Calgary’s transit assumptions were applicable in Airdrie.
"We have a great one, but it’s not as heavily utilized as something like Calgary… Are we taking that into consideration?"
Wittman confirmed the modelling includes regional examples.
"There are strategies to share parking that work on a lot of — 95 per cent of the conditions," he said. "It’s not just Calgary examples. There’s the surrounding communities around Calgary that we’re also looking at."
On demographic reach, Petrow asked if seniors’ input was specifically gathered.
"Did we get any demographic information? I’m specifically asking about age… like, you know, the seniors — the senior AquaFit — that’s a big component of that leisure use as well."
Wittman said demographic breakdowns weren’t collected, but that a wide range of ages attended the open house.
Fitness, changerooms and bouldering seen as high priorities
Survey respondents ranked the following features as most important: lockers (98 per cent), cardio equipment (90 per cent), drop-in courts (91 per cent), free weights (88 per cent), private changerooms (88 per cent), private showers (89 per cent), and climbing/bouldering walls (70 per cent). Food vendors and social seating also rated highly, with 89 and 87 per cent support respectively.
"Climbing and bouldering… is an activity that currently doesn’t exist in Airdrie, at least at Genesis Place," Wittman said.
Spin and yoga studios were among the least prioritized features.
Wittman said food and seating areas will be designed as a centralized hub.
"There is a strong desire for there to be food vendors accessible to all aspects of the facility," he said. "A good centralized common area where all that activity and hub of the facility can really take place."
Changerooms and fieldhouse adaptability also emphasized
Respondents also emphasized the need for large dressing rooms (77 per cent), clear spectator sight lines (76 per cent), warm-up and dryland space, bench size, and circulation. Field users requested flexible court markings and gym layout.
"Make sure dressing rooms are right for a full minor hockey team with parents — everyone tying skates and chaos," Wittman said.
"The court space — the gymnasium court space — to be multi use as well," he said. "Flexibility in the field markings, allowing for it to be a truly multi sport facility."
Feedback may influence existing city programs
Anderson said some of the feedback gathered through engagement may be applied in the short term, not just for future phases.
"There’s lots of information… not only [to] inform the physical design… but also, how do we design programs and services… even in our outdoor spaces or in Inspire."
He added that coordination with Genesis Place is ongoing.
"We’re reviewing with the Genesis Place operators how those facilities are working, what pinch points exist… so that recommendation can be made to have a facility that complements it."
Wittman closed the presentation by underscoring the report’s role in informing the final layout.
"The results of this engagement will help us define which internal features should be prioritized inside the envelope of the facility."
What’s next
Three site layout options will return to the Community and Corporate Services committee later this month. Council is scheduled to vote on a preferred design on June 3.
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