Fredericton City Council has chosen the Grant Harvey Centre Expansion Project as the preferred option for a new aquatics facility to meet the recreational, competitive and therapeutic needs of the community.
Council also directed staff to develop a funding strategy for the project, which has been fully designed and costed, and includes three separate tanks, a 25-metre training pool, a therapy pool and leisure pool.
Staff will work to secure federal and provincial funding while exploring potential community funding partners and a community-led fundraising effort. The municipal contribution will depend on the outcome of this work. The project is still subject to final approval by Council once federal and provincial funding are secured, and an acceptable funding strategy is approved.
“The City of Fredericton is on the path to deliver a new facility that will meet the needs of our growing community and create a space for everyone to thrive,” said Mayor Steve Hicks. “We’ve heard from residents that a new pool is needed and we are committed to delivering on a new modern, accessible indoor aquatics facility as envisioned in the City’s 2025 Recreation and Leisure Master Plan.”
The project was recommended through a neutral third-party options analysis which contemplated design and costing, current and future community needs, operational considerations and ownership models. Proposed projects involving the YMCA and University of New Brunswick (UNB) were considered alongside the Grant Harvey Expansion.
The analysis confirmed that Grant Harvey Centre Expansion offers the most cost certainty, has the most workable ownership model, and is best suited to serve aquatics users as it aligns with the 2020 Greater Fredericton Region Aquatics Facility Feasibility Study and the City’s 2025 Recreation and Leisure Master Plan.
In December 2025, the cost of the new facility was estimated at $81 million.
The design for a facility at Grant Harvey Centre was previously completed through work with the Capital Region Service Commission.
While work to deliver a new facility is ongoing, the City of Fredericton remains committed to aquatics and will continue to invest in existing facilities.
In August 2026, the City announced a series of actions to support aquatics while reaffirming its commitment to a new facility. These actions included a retrofit of the Fredericton Indoor Pool is scheduled to begin in April 2028, and continued support to UNB to keep the Sir Max Aitken Pool open.
The Grant Harvey Centre Expansion Project was discussed during Fredericton City Council’s regular public meeting on October 13, 2026, and is available online.