Vancouver Aquatic Centre closed after section of building crashes to the ground
The Vancouver Aquatic Centre has been temporarily closed after a piece of the building came crashing to the ground Tuesday night.
The section somehow came loose near the facility's Beach Avenue entrance, which has been cordoned off with caution tape as crews assess the safety of the building.
On Wednesday, the Vancouver Park Board confirmed the Aquatic Centre would remain closed until Thursday at the earliest out of "an abundance of caution."
"We apologize for this inconvenience and thank you for your understanding," the board said in a statement.
People have been stopping by the facility Wednesday to check out the damage for themselves.
"It's just old. The scary part is that it's not maintained, they should have recognized that," said Courtney Christopher. "Imagine if that was on the 10th floor somewhere; it's fortunate no one got hurt."
The Aquatic Centre initially reopened Wednesday morning in spite of the damage, with visitors told to enter through the side door beside the parking lot.
Park board commissioner Tricia Barker posted on Twitter that she visited the scene and heard from a number of residents who were sad to see the public pool shut down.
"This facility is a treasure and at times, a life saver for so many that live in Vancouver," she wrote.
The Vancouver Aquatic Centre was built in 1974, replacing the city's Crystal Pool, and there have been discussions about replacing the aging facility for years.
Barker told CTV News the centre had been on the park board's radar, along with several other community centres that needed to be replaced or repaired, but the pandemic slowed that down.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A turbulent campaign nears its finale as Americans choose between Harris and Trump
A presidential campaign marked by upheaval and rancour headed for its Election Day finale on Tuesday, as Americans decided whether to send Donald Trump back to the White House or elevate Kamala Harris to the Oval Office.
Government calls $9M condo purchase an 'operational decision'
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly defends the purchase of a $9 million condo for the Consulate General of New York City at a parliamentary committee, as a necessary investment.
New homeowners find skeleton in attic 15 years after previous occupant disappeared
Homeowners in France have discovered a skeleton in the attic of an outbuilding while undertaking renovation work.
Netanyahu fires Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant, after months of clashes over war and politics
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has fired Defence Minister Yoav Gallant after months of clashes over domestic politics and Israel’s war efforts.
Trudeau and Harris? Poilievre and Trump? Here's who Canadians think would work best with: survey
As Americans prepare to elect their next president on Tuesday, new data from the Angus Reid Institute suggests Canadians hold differing views as to which federal party leaders would be best suited to deal with either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris.
'Extreme disregard for the safety of others': Lamborghini driver gets prison sentence for 2021 Toronto crash
A mortgage broker who totalled his Lamborghini and left a passenger with life-altering injuries after trying to pass a Toronto streetcar at nearly three times the speed limit has been handed a two-and-a-half year prison sentence.
'I’m not proud of it': Jason Kelce apologizes after video shows him spiking a cellphone after fan used a homophobic slur
Jason Kelce issued an apology during ESPN's 'Monday Night Countdown' after a viral video captured a 'heated moment' between the retired Super Bowl champion and a fan over the weekend.
Prison sentences handed down for sexually abusive London, Ont. parents
In handing down the sentences for two London parents, Justice Thomas Heeney told the court, "The facts of this case were the most egregious that I have encountered during my 26 years on the bench."
Harris and Trump tie in Dixville Notch midnight vote to kick off Election Day
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and former U.S. president Donald Trump have tied with three votes each in the tiny New Hampshire township of Dixville Notch, kicking off Election Day in one of the first places in the country to report its presidential preference.