Whitehorse Aquatic Centre
Whitehorse, Yukon

The City of Whitehorse was awarded the 2007 Canada Winter Games in May 2002 when the Federal Government announced it would put $20 million towards constructing a multiplex. The first phase of the multiplex was the new 25m 8 lane aquatic centre. The inclusion of the leisure pool provides the facility with a "life" after the games. The complex will eventually include two ice arenas and a gymnasium. These new facilities will be built below the existing Mt. McIntyre Recreation Centre in an effort to create a centralized recreation complex.

One of the challenges facing the design team was the short building season in northern Canada. This was overcome by ensuring that during the warmer summer months the building shell was completed, allowing work to continue through the winter in the enclosed interior.

During the grand opening in October 2002, the aquatic centre employees had to fight their way through the crowd of swimmers that had began lining up outside the facility almost two hours before the public swim session was scheduled to begin. Most of the kids who visited the pool immediately headed to the water slide, which had to close 15 minutes early to enable everyone in line to get their run in before the pool closed. The Lazy River was also packed with kids; some who drifted along with the current and others who tried to run against the current. The sauna, steam room, and swirl pool were also packed all evening.