Wednesday, January 28, 2026
The Peter Hemingway Aquatic Centre in Edmonton has been named a Municipal Historic Resource as it reopened on Jan. 27 after five years of renovation work.
“In recognition of its significance to the city’s architectural and recreation history, City Council has declared the 56-year-old facility a Municipal Historic Resource,” a City of Edmonton release said.
The facility first opened in 1970 as Coronation Pool and was renamed the Peter Hemingway Fitness and Leisure Centre in 2005 in honour of its architect, Peter Hemingway, who was awarded the prestigious Massey Medal in architecture for its design.
“Peter Hemingway was a visionary in his time, and his influence on architectural design in the city was significant. Hemingway used the beauty and sometimes harshness of the prairie to influence his designs. That’s reflected in the way Peter Hemingway Aquatic Centre blends into the landscape but also stands out as a unique structure,” City of Edmonton Heritage Conservation planner David Johnston said.
The centre closed in March 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions and rehabilitation work began in fall 2021 and reached completion in late 2025. Renovations include upgrades to the mechanical, structural and electrical systems, as well as the pool basin.
Additional work included replacement of the glass curtain wall and lighting, along with the addition of a cold plunge pool and an elevator, the release said.
The pool building, designed in the Expressionist style of modern architecture has a sweeping roofline clad in copper. The interior structure is supported by a suspension cable system anchored to eight large concrete pillars on the north and south sides of the building.
The Peter Hemingway Aquatic Centre is the 195th heritage designation approved by Edmonton City Council since the program began in 1985.
