Before we had the Vancouver Aquatic Centre, there was the Crystal Pool.
The story is from Vancouver Exposed: Searching for the City’s Hidden History.
Crystal Pool:
Joe Fortes taught hundreds of children how to swim in English Bay, If the much-loved life guard were still alive when Crystal Pool opened in July 1929, it’s hard to imagine that the parks board would have got away with separate swim days—six days for whites, one day for “coloureds and Orientals”*—segregating their mostly young customers for the next 17 years.
Sunset Beach:
The salt-water pool at Sunset Beach was built as part of a swanky private club called the Connaught Beach Club. As well as a pool, there were plans to include tennis, badminton and squash courts, Turkish baths for men and women, a beauty parlour, barber shop, roof garden and a ballroom. But the operators went broke, and the contractors finished only the pool for shares in lieu of cash.
The city bought the land in 1939 and the parks board held the lease. The pool had bled money during the Depression and some of the stunts to bring in customers included watching George Burrows, superintendent of beaches and parks leap off the three-metre board, tied in a gunny sack for his underwater escape act. Gordon Ross, manager was talked into diving through the air to hit a ring of flame on the water, while Percy Norman, swim coach would wrestle contenders on a platform until one fell into the water. Another draw was throwing 1,000 pennies into the pool and having the kids dive for them. The kids would later return them to the pool by buying sweets at the concession stand. On Saturdays, a 15-cent admission got kids a hot dog, Coke and bus fare home.
Vivian Jung:
In 1945, 21-year-old Vivian Jung was stopped from getting the life-saving certificate she needed to join the Vancouver School Board as a full-time teacher because she wasn’t allowed to swim in Crystal Pool with the white folk. Her students and colleagues refused to go to the pool without her, and the segregation rule was finally abolished. Vivian became the first Chinese Canadian teacher hired by the Vancouver School Board and taught at Vancouver’s Tecumseh Elementary School for 35 years. In 2014, the year that she died, Jung Lane was named for her. Fittingly, the lane runs right by Sunset Beach.
In 1966, Harry McPhee head of the Seahorse Swim Club went to war with the parks board in an effort to save the pool from demolition for competitive swimmers, even though the facility was aging and losing money. “Perhaps it was a fluke by the builders in the first place, but it’s the right width, the right length, the right everything,” he told a reporter. “It may not look all that glamorous, but it’s got something of the Stradivarius about it.”[2] McPhee lost. Crystal Pool was demolished, though Vancouver gained the Aquatic Centre, which opened in 1974.
[1] “Colour Bar Removed from Crystal Pool.” Province, November 6, 1945
[2] Chester Grant. “Harry’s Campaigning to Save Crystal Pool.” Vancouver Sun, December 3, 1966
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© Eve Lazarus, 2022
12 comments on “Crystal Pool (1929-1974)”
I so appreciated this article, a valuable piece of Vancouver’s history, in so many ways, which were previously unknown to me.
Thanks so much Zoe, glad you found it interesting!
Really interesting history! I wonder if it would be feasible to keep the existing pool/amenities, and just replace that ugly roof?
There are plans to replace it, (although I haven’t read through it yet to find out when) https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/vansplash-aquatics-strategy.aspx
Such a fascinating story Eve! I dont know how it lasted that long, considering many fancier buildings did not have such a long lifespan. There is something special about swimming in a salt water pool. I applaud all those who fought for equal rights in this city, then and now.
You find the most remarkable bits of Vancouver’s past; most especially the ones about Race are heart wrenching and to this day bring tears to my eyes and a knot in my throat just thinking about the ways so many in officialdom enacted rules preventing us from sharing in the wonders of that great city. There were gatekeepers at the Unemployment Office that said things like, “you know you already have 3 strikes against you…”
Very interesting story, as always. Thank you!
Shudder, My reaction. As a member of both the Dolphins and Vancouver Amateur ( VASC who Elaine Tanner raced for) it was dark, noisy, not ventilated well making ones eyes sting , choppy water as too shallow, unless you led your lane breathing was risky and only 6 lanes wide not 8 so after the Olympics went metric in 1970 its fate was sealed. We only swam there after when Percy Norman was closed.
As for the “new” one shortly after opening parts of the roof insulation started falling into the water as the wrong glue had been used not formulated for both salt and chorine!
With its no windows on the ocean setting its tragic. Tear the damn thing down.
I attended the West End’s Lord Roberts Elementary School and King George High School (when it was located on Burrard at Nelson), and fondly remember class trips for official swimming lessons at Crystal Pool. Having come from Europe, I could not believe that leaving the school building for part of the school day was actually permitted and planned for the whole class! Also went to the pool with friends occasionally on Saturdays although I preferred swimming in English Bay along the length of the beach, weather permitting. Hope the current pool building is soon repaired or replaced. With all the high rise buildings now occupying what used to be play spaces, a public pool is a much needed amenity in the West End.
My Mom, born in 1929, and her best friend, of English and Chinese heritage, often talked about the time they went to the pool on the “wrong” night and had to go back when they both could swim. They said at the time they thought nothing of it and were just angry at themselves for getting the nights mixed up. When older though, they said “can you imagine?!”
In 1960 I almost drowned in Crystal pool. My brother and I took swimming lessons there every Saturday am. In different classes. My parents drove us there in our 57 chev. They would watch from the balcony above. We would often stay after class for a bit to practice what we had just learned. One day after class and being very physically exhausted I slipped on the wet deck and fell into the deep end of the pool. I wasn’t at the level of deep water swimming skill yet. I was gulping water and going under for food when I looked up and saw my Dad frantically yelling at a girl (who was older and a better swimmer than me) and pointing to me for her to help me. She quickly got to me and dragged me to the side of the pool saving my life. Another memory from these Saturday classes was after swimming we got a huge treat!! My brother and I were able to pick out what we wanted from a vending machine in the lobby. To this day I still love coconut macaroon chocolate bars. When the aquatic center opened I was exatatic. So big and new. I swam there 4 days a week many miles and took diving lessons in the dive tank. I became a lifeguard learning in that pool. We had to dive down to the bottom of the dive tank and practice rescuing “bodies” and bring them up from the bottom. Old heavy rubber tires were the bodies. The instructors could watch you down in the tank from windows downstairs. I loved the hot tub and sauna. It’s where I met my husband who was a coach in the gym. Good times and memories.
Really interesting! I swam there but had no idea of the racist policies! Yikes!