Winskill Renewal Project

As work continues on the Winskill Renewal Project, Delta Council will receive a report from City staff at the February 3 Regular Meeting providing an update on reforestation in Winskill Park.

Following Council’s request for further details at the October 21, 2024 Regular Meeting, staff have worked with a registered landscape architect on plans for reforestation, presenting a concept that includes planting more than 400 new trees in the park. The concept was developed with the aim of retaining existing trees where feasible, replacing removed trees, and increasing the diversity and resilience of the existing forest.

The proposal presented to Council would see new trees added in four distinct areas of the park, including a combination of climate adaptive native and non-native species in forested areas, as well as streetwise and feature trees that would be incorporated into community spaces. In addition, the area will include a fully accessible trail for park users.

The proposed reforestation concepts will be presented to the community as part of the second phase of engagement on the Winskill Renewal Project, beginning in early spring.

For more information on the Winskill reforestation update, the staff report can be read here.

For more information on this news release, please contact media@delta.ca.

Delta Council has endorsed a plan to relocate the Winskill disc golf course, starting with the installation of a temporary course, and moving towards establishing a new home for disc golf in Tsawwassen.

At the October 21, 2024 Regular meeting, Council received a staff report outlining a relocation plan for disc golf that resulted from numerous meetings between City of Delta staff and Tsawwassen’s disc golf community. Endorsed by local players, the plan includes several key actions. As an interim solution, six disc golf baskets will be installed in the wooded area at Dennison Park this fall to ensure play continues while the Winskill Park course is decommissioned. In time for spring 2025, a pilot course of 9 to 12 holes will be installed at Diefenbaker Park—a potential long-term home for the course, subject to engagement with park users next fall.

“I’m extremely pleased to see a clear plan take shape that secures the future of disc golf in Tsawwassen,” said Mayor George Harvie. “I want to thank City staff for their hard work engaging with community members to find a solution, and I appreciate the input and passion Delta’s disc golf community has shared throughout the process. I look forward to seeing this plan come to life and the ongoing engagement to support a thriving disc golf community in our city.”

Diefenbaker Park was selected as the location of the pilot project in consultation with disc golf users due to its suitable landscape, terrain, and amenities such as parking and washrooms. A professional disc golf course designer will be contracted to develop the new course layout, with input from local players. Following the installation and opening of the course, community engagement will take place in the fall of 2025 to evaluate the success of the pilot project.

Commemorative baskets will be installed at Winksill Park following construction of the baseball fields, offering an opportunity for informal play, and recognizing the long history of disc golf in the park.

For more information on this news release, please contact media@delta.ca.

https://www.delta.ca/community-culture/happening-delta/news/city-delta-plans-relocation-winskill-disc-golf-course

Following direction from Delta Council at the July 22 Regular Meeting, staff engaged in further consultation with Tsawwassen Amateur Baseball Association (TABA), Tsawwassen Mixed Slo Pitch (TMSP), and South Delta United (SDU) Soccer Club, about the layout of the sports fields in Winskill Park and the feasibility of incorporating a fourth baseball diamond.

The result of these discussions is a proposed plan that accommodates the needs identified by the field user groups, including a pinwheel design for baseball diamonds, enhanced pedestrian safety infrastructure, and an outdoor washroom and concession area. The proposed plan also enables the inclusion of the fourth baseball diamond. Council will be asked to consider the proposed plan as well as timing for a fourth baseball diamond at their meeting on September 23.

“Since receiving direction from Council, staff have had a number of productive meetings with Winskill field user groups, and the outcome of these discussions is a plan that provides for the future of field sports in the community as well as a new aquatic and fitness centre,” said Jim Bauer, Director of Facilities and Major Projects.

City staff are seeking Council’s endorsement of the Winskill Park plan, as well as direction on timing for construction of the fourth baseball diamond. The proposed plan enables the inclusion of the fourth baseball diamond but requires a decision on whether it should be constructed immediately, or whether construction should be deferred until there is a need for increased field capacity.

Following Council’s decision, work will commence on preparing the site, which will include the implementation of field realignment and development.

The Council Report including the proposed Winskill Park Plan can be viewed at https://delta.civicweb.net/document/232194.

For more information on this news release, please contact media@delta.ca.

At the July 22 Regular Meeting, Delta Council received community engagement results, approved the location for the Winskill Aquatic and Fitness Centre replacement and directed design to commence.

The Refined North Option, which was developed following the first phase of community engagement, incorporates community feedback regarding preserving the natural area in Winskill Park while addressing technical considerations like park accessibility, traffic flow and construction implementation. This option would also mitigate impacts during construction to allow the existing facility to remain open to the public and maintain three baseball diamonds, currently available today.

Council’s decision also included approving a 25-meter lap pool with 10 lanes in the new facility, which will result in a considerable increase in aquatic capacity from the current 6 lane pool. Not only will this meet the needs of the growing community, but it will also balance the expectations of the community for fun attractions, fitness/sport, and health and wellness. Along with a larger pool, the new building will include an expanded fitness centre, double the size of the existing facility.

“This decision is an important milestone in the progress of the Winskill Renewal Project,” said Mayor George V. Harvie. “I want to extend my sincere thanks to City staff for their work to engage with residents and develop an option that balances the diverse needs of our community. I look forward to continued progress on this exciting project and delivering a new amenity for the people of Delta that will serve our city for generations to come.”

The Refined North Option allows for the possibility to incorporate a fourth baseball diamond in the future. Council directed staff to consult further with Tsawwassen Amateur Baseball Association and other field user groups on park layout and plans for the fourth diamond and return to Council with a recommendation in the fall. The report back will also include additional information on the trees and the City’s plans for reforestation given the number of trees in poor condition today.

With Council’s approval of the new site, the chosen location and engagement report will now be submitted to the design team to develop plans for the new facility. These plans will be presented to the public and Delta Council in the fall of 2024, leading to a second phase of community engagement.

For more information on this news release, please contact media@delta.ca.

Results of the first phase of the Winskill Renewal Project community engagement program will be presented to Delta Council on July 22, 2024. The staff report summarizes the findings, outlines key features of the new aquatic and fitness centre, and seeks Council’s decision on the location for the new facility within Winskill Park.

Through 22 meetings, 6 public events, and an online feedback form completed by 662 households, staff heard from more than 1,632 members of the community on a range of topics including: a vision for the facility, location of the building, features in the leisure pool, suggestions for the fitness centre, changes to the fields, and more.

“Our goal through this first phase of the program was to gather community input on the key features of the new facility before proceeding to design,” says Jim Bauer, Director of Facilities and Capital Projects. “We heard from over 1,600 participants, which included a wide range of park users and interested members of the public, and have received great ideas for the new facility.”

In addition to receiving the results of the engagement program at this meeting, Council will also consider the location for the new facility on the Winskill site. In the report, staff are recommending proceeding with a refined North option, which meets technical criteria and preserves a greater portion of the natural area.

“Through our engagement with the public, we learned that a significant priority for residents when supporting a location for the new site was the preservation of trees in the natural area,” said Bauer. “With this in mind, and after further analysis of various factors including the impacts of construction, staff are recommending an enhanced North option that will see more trees preserved than the options first presented to residents.”

During the engagement program, the preference for tree retention led many participants to support the West option. The updated North option incorporates this feedback by reconfiguring the parking area, and deferring further work on a future fourth ball diamond pending the results of a field use analysis.

As part of the report, Council is also being asked to confirm the size of the new lap pool. Staff are recommending Council approve a 10-lane, 25m lap pool to provide a facility that encourages recreation and pool-use for the community as a whole, while allowing competitive swimmers to utilize it for training and competition.

The report completes Phase One of the community engagement program and seeks Council’s direction on key decision points. If endorsed, the City will begin design of the facility which will involve further public engagement.

The Council Report, including the results of the first phase of the engagement program, is available as part of the Council Agenda as well as at letstalk.delta.ca/Winskill.

For more information on this news release, please contact media@delta.ca.

Background:

The Winskill Aquatic and Fitness Centre opened in 1977 when the population of Delta was about 65,000. The single story, ground-level building includes a six-lane 25-meter lap pool, dive tank, teach pool, hot tub, sauna, stretch room, male and female change rooms as well as four small universal (family) change rooms. There is also an annex that includes an open space for fitness classes and a multi-functional open space that serves the Boys and Girls Club programs.

A report in 2019 showed that the current Winskill Aquatic and Fitness Centre does not meet the building code and that many of the mechanical systems are beyond their expected service life, including the building’s electrical system, mechanical/plumbing systems, building ventilation and multiple roof systems. With a population of 114,000 and growing, the existing facility and amenities are no longer adequate to serve the community and a larger facility is being considered.

In March 2024, Delta Council directed staff to begin the process to design and involve the community. Since then, the City has completed the first phase of community engagement to invite input into the key features of the facility. The results are available as part of the Council Agenda for the July 22, 2024 meeting as well as at letstalk.delta.ca/Winskill. Highlights from the findings include:

• Design the facility to support Fun, Fitness, and Health
• Incorporate wellness features as well as play areas in the leisure pool
• Size the pool and fitness centre to accommodate community growth
• Locate the new building in an area that addresses key technical considerations
  and also preserves the existing natural area and trees
• Opinions are split on adding a fourth diamond at this time

The City of Delta is launching the first phase of engagement with the community on the design of the new aquatic and recreation facility at Winskill Park.

https://www.delta.ca/community-culture/happening-delta/news/time-jump-community-invited-get-involved-design-winskill

At the March 11, 2024 Regular Meeting, Delta Council unanimously approved the replacement of Winskill Aquatic and Fitness Centre with a new, modern facility to be built at Winskill Park.

https://www.delta.ca/community-culture/happening-delta/news/delta-council-approves-new-facility-replace-winskill-aquatic

Delta Council will review options to renovate or replace the aging Winskill Aquatic & Fitness Centre at the Regular Meeting of Council on March 11, 2024.

https://www.delta.ca/community-culture/happening-delta/news/delta-council-consider-advancing-new-recreation-facility