After a wait of nearly seven years, Oshawa residents will soon be able to take a free dip in the newly rebuilt Rotary Pool, with the long-awaited and much-delayed project finally set to open this summer.
Construction of the new pool at Rotary Park is nearing completion, with the official opening scheduled for sometime soon, according to a news release issued by the City of Oshawa. While an exact date has not yet been announced, the city confirmed that the facility will be ready for swimmers before the end of the summer season.
It has been a long road for Oshawa residents who have been without the beloved community pool since it was closed after the 2019 season due to significant structural deterioration. The original Rotary Pool was conceived in the 1920s and had been enjoyed by generations of Oshawa families for nearly a century before its closure.
Selected as the Legacy Project for the city’s centennial celebrations in 2024, the Rotary Park Revitalization Project has transformed the site into a modern recreational destination. The revitalized facility includes a new outdoor pool with four lanes for lap swimming, a zero-entry pool area that provides easy access for all ages and abilities, a dedicated toddler pool, a destination playground, and a splash pad for younger children.
Construction originally began in the spring of 2024, and by that summer the city was confidently declaring the nearly twenty-five million dollar project on schedule with a summer 2025 opening target. That date was soon pushed back to later in 2025, then to an unspecified date in 2026, frustrating residents who had been waiting patiently for the facility to return.
Oshawa councillors Brian Nicholson and Tito-Dante Marimpietri championed a motion to waive swimming fees for Oshawa residents on a first-come, first-served basis for the first full year of operation, with eligibility requirements drafted to ensure fair and equitable access to the new facility.
Councillor Nicholson emphasized that residents have been waiting a long time for the replacement of Rotary Pool and that providing free swimming once it opens is recognition of their patience and support throughout the lengthy construction process.
The project also faced significant cost overruns, with initial 2023 estimates of six million dollars ballooning to nearly nineteen million before that year was out, largely due to supply chain issues stemming from the pandemic. The final price tag ultimately reached approximately twenty-five million dollars.
Oshawa residents who wish to take advantage of the free swimming will need to obtain a free Rotary Pool Season Pass to access drop-in leisure swims and swimming lessons at no charge. Residents can register for a season pass by completing the online form on the city’s website or by visiting the Civic Recreation Complex, Delpark Homes Centre, Donevan Recreation Complex, or South Oshawa Community Centre in person. Proof of residency is required at the time of registration.
