The iconic Lawson Aquatic Centre on Elphinstone will be torn down, and replaced with a brand new, state of the art facility.

The biggest question is where will it go. Right now the city is looking at keeping the new facility adjacent to the old one, on the site of the old Taylor Field. There are some thoughts of building this in the “Railyards” just north of Casino Regina.

The new facility will have geo-thermal heating. Hot water is extracted from deep underground, and used to heat the building, before the water is returned back to the ground. That way, the new aquatic centre will have zero emissions.

The over 128 million dollars in funding is coming from all three levels of government. $51.2 million from the federal government,. $42.7 million from the province, and $34.1 million of the funding will come from the City of Regina.

The Lawson sees more than 170,000 swim visits per year. The new facility would meet world competition standards, and have an expanded leisure element as well.

“Providing an appropriate space for people of all ages to use and enjoy is at the heart of this project,” says Government Relations Minister Don McMorris. “A new and improved aquatic centre has long been talked about in Regina, and today, we couldn’t be more excited to see this project move forward. Investing in infrastructure projects like the new aquatic centre is integral to our communities advancing and expanding to best service the residents of our province. This is another example of how the Saskatchewan government is building our communities to protect our future.”

A new aquatic facility was at the top of the list of projects of the 2019 master plan for Regina.

“The City of Regina thanks the Government of Canada and the Government of Saskatchewan for their significant contributions to our city through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program,” Mayor Sandra Masters said. “We are incredibly pleased to advance the development of a new indoor aquatic facility, complete with an innovative geothermal heating facility supported by the research and work of the Petroleum Technology Research Centre and the University of Regina. These projects are great examples of where investments from all three levels of government are serving to meet the needs of residents and enhancing our quality of life.” 

The current facility is showing its age, after being built in 1975 for the Western Canadian Summer Games.