Saanich Commonwealth Place is a recreation center located west of the
Patricia Bay Highway and north of Royal Oak Drive in
Saanich, British Columbia
Saanich ( ) is a district municipality on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, within the Greater Victoria area. The population was 117,735 at the 2021 census, making it the most populous municipality in the Capital Regional District and V ...
in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. It was originally constructed in 1993 for the
August 1994 Commonwealth Games, and is currently a prominent facility in the community. In 2002 the original weightroom was completely renovated and it re-opened for operation in 2004. Among the center's other features are a full-size gymnasium (7000 square feet), a 50-meter competition pool, 4.5 meter deep dive tank with 1-, 3-, 5-, 7.5-, and 10-meter boards, and the Bruce Hutchison Branch of the
Greater Victoria Public Library. The building's construction is unique; it features a red dome in the shape of a slightly flattened
square pyramid
In geometry, a square pyramid is a pyramid having a square base. If the apex is perpendicularly above the center of the square, it is a right square pyramid, and has symmetry. If all edge lengths are equal, it is an equilateral square pyramid, ...
over the main pool area. The inside of the dome boasts dozens of large, intricately engineered sound absorption ceiling panels. Finally, stretching from about one-sixth to one-third of the way down the pyramid dome's four massive triangular sides, angled multi-pane windows replace the ceiling panels as the focus of a
backstroker's view. The facility is often referred to as the "''Commonwealth Pool''" by residents of Greater Victoria. Located only 10 minutes by automobile from Saanich's new Uptown Shopping Centre and only 300 meters from th
Royal Oak Transit Exchange which is served by 12
BC Transit
BC Transit is a provincial crown corporation responsible for coordinating the delivery of public transportation within British Columbia, Canada, outside Greater Vancouver. BC Transit is headquartered in Victoria, British Columbia. In , the syst ...
routes, it is highly accessible to all residents of the
Capital Regional District.
References
External links
Saanich Commonwealth PlaceThe Bruce Hutchison LibraryMunicipality of SaanichCapital Regional District of British ColumbiaWikimapia page on Royal Oak Transit Exchange
1994 Commonwealth Games venues
Sports venues in British Columbia
Saanich, British Columbia
Swimming venues in British Columbia
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