Victoria Welland

The new, $18-million aquatics facility being built at the Halifax Common&nbsp;is set to open to the public this July, along with a modular stage and pavilion, city staff say.

The facility will have a 450-person capacity pool with a two-metre deep end, lane swimming&nbsp;and aquatic climbing walls, according to the city's website.

The old splash pad will become an updated "water plaza" with fountain sprays and interactive features. The nearby pavilion will feature a year-round community space and kitchen.

There will also be a new tree grove and green space beside the splash pad.

An aerial view shows the design plans for the new aquatic facility and pavilion.

Aerial plans show the layout of the new facility set to open July 2023.

Halifax Commons Aquatic Facility

Ryan Nearing, a&nbsp;public affairs adviser with Halifax Regional Municipality,&nbsp;said aim is to create an accessible space that all residents can&nbsp;enjoy. For example, the pool will have a sloped, beach-style entrance, a barrier-free lift and gender-neutral change rooms.

"Our real hope is that this will become, and continue&nbsp;to be a central community pillar for the region," Nearing said.

There's a newly built playground near the&nbsp;site&nbsp;and&nbsp;funding to build a larger playground is up for approval by regional council later this month in this year's municipal budget, he said.

A drawing of people walking underneath an atrium. 

A rendering of the proposed building bordering the outdoor pool planned for the Halifax Commons. 

Halifax Commons outdoor pool entrance

The aquatics facility will&nbsp;also be net zero, powered by solar panels on the roof of the pavilion, Nearing said.

Bookings for the stage and community space will open once construction is complete. The municipality is in the process of hiring staff to work at the aquatics facility.

Women exploited by killer feared telling police about his crimes, panel finds

A lack of trust in police, fear of being mistreated and not believed are identified as some reasons vulnerable women did not report being exploited by the perpetrator, before the mass shootings in April 2020.

The road sign of Portapique Beach Road is shown next to an RCMP cruiser.

22 people, including a pregnant woman, were murdered in several Nova Scotia communities on April 18-19, 2020.  The gunman's spouse was also shot at and physically assaulted at the onset of the violence in Portapique. 

Portapique Beach Road sign

Twenty-two people, including a pregnant woman, were murdered in several Nova Scotia communities on April 18-19, 2020.

Family wants names of both mothers on child's birth certificate; province says change is needed

In Nova Scotia, only two parents are permitted on the birth registration. When same-sex parents use assisted conception with an anonymous sperm donor, both parents can be listed on the birth registration. That is not the case when the donor is known.

A family of three poses for a photo. The child is in the middle and surrounded on the left and right by both parents.

Krysta Hartlen Côté (right) and her wife Jackie Hartlen Côté (left) want to be able to have both of their names on the birth certificate for their child.

Hartlen Cote family

COVID-19 outbreak reported at Yarmouth Regional Hospital

Only one visitor now allowed in 3 East section of the hospital, the Nova Scotia Health Authority said in a news release on Sunday.

The exterior of a brick building with the words "Yarmouth Regional Hospital" written on it.

Yarmouth Regional Hospital

A 2019 file photo of the Yarmouth Regional Hospital.

Suspicious fire breaks out in Halifax Public Gardens for second time in under a year

Halifax Regional Police say they responded to a fire late Monday at the Horticultural Hall, which was built in 1847.

The horticultural hall at the Halifax Public Gardens is seen here. The door is charred black from the remnants of a fire. A pond and gazebo can be seen in the foreground. 

Fire crews and Halifax Regional Police responded to a fire at the Horticultural Hall in the Halifax Public Gardens on Monday evening.

Public Gardens Fire 

Lawyer for some families in N.S. mass shooting says gun bans won't prevent similar tragedies

Recommendations from the final report into Nova Scotia's 2020 mass shooting around prohibiting certain firearms and magazines in Canada doesn't address how similar tragedies could be avoided, says a lawyer for many families of the victims.

A white man in a suit and tie sits in an office in front of a window

Michael Scott, a lawyer for Patterson Law, represents more than a dozen victims' families.

Michael Scott

An arrangement of firearms including rifles and pistols are laid out on a beige background

After police shot and killed the gunman at a gas station in Enfield, N.S., they found three handguns and two rifles in his possession. He obtained three of the guns in Houlton, Maine.

Guns used in NS mass shooting

A rendering of the outdoor pool planned for the Halifax Commons.

Halifax Common pool and pavilion to open this summer

More Stories Like This