Bonnie Doon Leisure Centre Rehabilitation

For more than 50 years, the Bonnie Doon Leisure Centre has been a neighbourhood fixture—a place where families learned to swim, teens gathered after school, and generations found simple joy in the water. 

By 2020, the well-loved facility needed much more than a tune-up. Its aging pool systems, uninsulated envelope, and outdated interiors no longer met community expectations or modern standards for accessibility and comfort.

The City of Edmonton asked GEC to help bring the centre into the future while preserving its welcoming spirit. What began as a mechanical upgrade quickly grew into a full transformation. We revitalized the building envelope with a high-performance rainscreen system and new insulation, improving energy efficiency and giving the exterior a refreshed, contemporary presence in Dermott District Park. Inside, change rooms, administrative spaces, and public areas were fully reconfigured to support universal access and a smoother user experience.

Working within the constraints of the 1966 structure, our team engineered a new perimeter gutter system that meets current Alberta Health standards while carefully reinforcing the aging suspended slab.

Throughout the process, collaboration guided the design, from City stakeholders to the park renewal team, ensuring the leisure centre now works seamlessly with the surrounding outdoor spaces.

Today, the Bonnie Doon Leisure Centre is once again a bright, inviting place for the community that is more accessible, more efficient, and thoughtfully renewed for the next generation of swimmers and families.