Davisville Community & Aquatic Centre

The City is building a new aquatic and multi-use community centre on the Davisville Junior Public School and Spectrum Alternative School site, east of the intersection of Yonge Street and Davisville Avenue. The facility will include two indoor swimming pools and several multi-purpose rooms to serve various community needs.

While we aim to provide fully accessible content, there is no text alternative available for some of the content on this site. If you require alternate formats or need assistance understanding our maps, drawings, or any other content, please contact James Cho at 416-338-6702.

Project Timeline

Fall 2020 to Winter 2021: Hire a design team
Spring 2021 to Fall 2021: Community engagement and design development
- Spring 2021: Phase 1, Towards a Vision
- Summer to Fall 2021: Phase 2, Exploring Design Options
- Fall to Winter 2021: Phase 3, Setting the Direction
Fall 2021 to Spring 2022: Detailed design
Spring 2024: Hire a construction team
June 2024: Construction starts
February 2027: Construction complete

The timeline is subject to change.

Get Involved

Sign Up for Updates

Design

Renderings of the final design and floor plans for the new centre.

A rendering of the front of the building, looking north from the south side of Davisville Ave. The building is three storeys tall. The main floor façade is glass, and in front of the building are benches, planters, trees and bike parking. The entrance is on the right (east) end. The second and third floor façade include vertical metal louvres and glass, there is a light green colouring through the façade. The third floor is an accessible rooftop on the left(west) side with a pergola. The right (east) side is a continuation of the façade. — A rendering of the front of the building, looking north from the south side of Davisville Avenue.

A rendering of the new centre, view facing northeast, from Davisville Avenue. The building is three stories tall. The first/main floor is predominately a glass façade, with the main entrance on the south-east corner of the building and bicycle parking near the entrance. The second and third floors have light coloured vertical panels along the south façade. The third floor includes an accessible rooftop area, which is visible from the street level and includes plantings along with a pergola along the south façade. — A rendering of the exterior of the building, looking northeast from Davisville Avenue.

An aerial rendering of the new Centre, view facing northeast, from on top of Davisville Avenue. The third floor rooftop space is pictured here, with pergola and seating area on the south side. In the central and north rooftop space is a walking track surrounding a grassy area and fitness station. Several clerestories provide natural light for the floors below. The west side of the rooftop includes a green roof and mechanical/service space (not publically accessible). — A rendering of the exterior of the building, looking northeast from above Davisville Avenue.

A rendering of the new centre looking southwest from the northwest side of the Spectrum Alternative School yard. There are large windows on the north-west side of the building, into the aquatic centre. There is a fence along the main floor to block off views between the school yard and the aquatic space. The third-floor rooftop is viewable from the yard, which has clear safety railings and plantings. There is a walkway on the west side of the new Centre. On the east side of the centre facing the school are windows on the entire main floor, and periodically on the second and third floors. — A rendering of the exterior of the building, looking southwest from Spectrum Alternative School.

A rendering of the main floor lobby, located at the south end of the building, at the main entrance. On the left of the image there is bench seating and a view and entrance to the pool deck. The green wall near the centre of the image is the main floor elevator entrance. To the right of the elevator is the staffed front desk. To the left of the front desk is the main floor hallway and a glass wall looking east. Ceilings are wood slats. The frosted-glass second floor lobby is viewable from the main floor lobby. People are seated behind the front desk, and on the left side seating area. There is a person standing in the lobby and the hallway. — A rendering of the main floor lobby, located at the south side of the building at the main entrance.

A rendering of the aquatic centre, with the lane pool with diving blocks in the foreground, and leisure pool in the background. The leisure pool has an accessible beach entrance. The lane pool has an accessible ramp entrance and a hoist (not pictured). The roof is slatted wood with natural light coming into the space through the rooftop as well as the north, west, and south walls. There is a grey deck around the pools. There are glass walls along the east wall, with views into the second floor hallway and viewing areas, and the main floor change rooms, showers, and lobby. Not pictured is the leisure pool water-play feature, the lane pool accessible hoist, and lifeguard stations. People are actively using the pool space in this image. — A rendering of the aquatic centre.

A rendering of the main floor change room stalls. The rooms are accessible to people of any gender identity. All changing takes place inside private stalls. The shared change room space is viewable from the hallway to the east and the pool on the west, with glass walls between each. No changing takes place in shared spaces. Two people are entering separate change stalls. — A rendering of the main floor change room stalls.

A rendering of the second floor lobby. On the right, people wait for the elevator. To the right of the elevator is the entrance to a meeting room. Furthest right are floor to ceiling, east-facing windows. On the left side of the image is a glass wall that provides view into the pool space. The hallway between the glass viewing space and the elevator leads to the rest of the second floor. — A rendering of the second floor lobby.

A rendering of a multi-purpose room, set up with tables and chairs in the centre. There is a sink with cupboard storage space on the back wall. On the left and back walls there are large computer screens. There are two large floor to ceiling windows on the right wall. In this rendering, a staff member is teaching a course to participants. — A rendering of a multi-purpose room.

A rendering of the teaching kitchen. On the left wall is a floor to ceiling window. On the back wall are cupboards for storage, a fridge, ovens, stovetop, and exhaust. In front of the back wall is a large kitchen island with a sink and storage. On top of the island is a ceiling-mounted TV to be used when cooking classes are in session, to show students a close-up of the cooking taking place on the kitchen island. Three people are hanging out in the space. — A rendering of the teaching kitchen.

A rendering of the dance studio. The right wall has three floor to ceiling windows. The floors are wooden. The back wall is floor to ceiling mirrors with a ballet barre. A student and teacher are practicing in the space. — A rendering of the dance studio.

A rendering of a meeting room. There is a long table surrounded by chairs in the centre of the room. There is a TV along the back wall for presentations. There is a white board on the right wall. The left wall is glass looking into the second floor lobby and out the south side of the building. In this image two people are seated while one person stands beside a TV screen, presenting. — A rendering of a meeting room.

A rendering of the main staircase, located on the south end of the building. Windows surround the staircase facing south onto Davisville Ave and into the lobby spaces of the new Centre. Three people are using the staircase in this image. — A rendering of the main staircase located near the south side of the building.

A rendering of the rooftop facing south. In the centre are raised planters and a multi-purpose lawn with people exercising. In the background on the left are glass walls that lead to the third floor indoor multipurpose spaces. In the background centre, there is a pergola over seating and gathering spaces, including a barbeque. On the right, a man is walking on the walking track, that circles most of the rooftop space. — A rendering of the rooftop looking south.

Floor Plans

Basement

Lower lobby
Link to underground parking
Underground parking (shared with school)
Service and mechanical space (no public access)
Main staircase
Elevator
Secondary staircase

Ground Floor

Main entrance
Lobby with reception desk
Main staircase
Elevator
Staff offices and lunchroom
Family change rooms, with private change stalls, private washroom stalls, lockers and shared mirror/sink space. The change rooms include two universally accessible washroom/shower/change stalls.
Lane pool with ramp entrance
Leisure/tot pool with water toys and ramp entrance
Drinking fountain
Deck-side showers
Service exit
Emergency exit and basement access
Hallway
Storage

Second Floor

Main staircase
Lobby
Pool viewing areas with accessible-height countertops and seating
Meeting room
Staff office
Dance Studio
Teaching Kitchen
Multi-purpose room with folding walls and a small storage room
Multi-purpose room with folding walls and a small storage room, sink and cupboards
Elevator
Secondary staircase
Individual washrooms
Staff office
Hallway
Storage
Drinking fountain

Third Floor and Rooftop

Main staircase
Lobby
Multi-purpose room with sink, cupboards and storage room
Multi-purpose room with folding wall and storage room
Multi-purpose room with sink, cupboards, folding wall and storage room.
Outdoor gathering area with two barbeques, sinks, a fixed seating and table area and moveable chairs and tables. This area is covered by a pergola and power outlets are available.
Outdoor multi-purpose lawn area
Outdoor walking track
Outdoor fitness area
Skylights which provide light to the floors below
Service and mechanical area (no public access)
Elevator
Secondary staircase
Storage
Hallway
Setup area for outdoor movie screen
Planters
Individual washrooms
Drinking fountain

Community Engagement Phase 1: Towards a Vision

In this phase of the community engagement process, the project was introduced and four draft design principles were presented to the community for feedback. Community feedback was also collected about the desired features and programming for the new centre.

April 21, 2021

Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) Meeting 1

The purpose of the first Davisville Community and Aquatic Centre SAC was to welcome and introduce members and the project team; review and confirm the Terms of Reference; share, discuss and confirm Program Goals and Design Principles; answer questions of clarification; and share next steps.

Download the meeting summary and final terms of reference.

April 5, 2021

Online Survey

An online survey was available from March 18, 2021, to April 5, 2021. The survey asked for feedback on the type of programming and features community members would like in the Davisville Community and Aquatic Centre’s community multi-purpose rooms, lane pool, leisure/tot pool, rooftop and lobby and for feedback on the proposed design principles.

The survey received 989 responses, which included participation from 1,598 individuals.

Download the survey results summary.

Youth Engagement

To ensure the centre is designed to be welcoming for local youth, the project team held an online youth workshop with 18 grade 11 and 12 students from Northern Secondary School on April 1, 2021. The interactive workshop lasted approximately one hour and was hosted online.

Download the engagement summary.

Additional local elementary and high schools were invited to participate in youth workshops as well, but classrooms were either unavailable over the month-long engagement window or did not respond to the invitation and reminders. Schools will be re-invited to take part during the next round of engagement.

March 24, 2021

Online Public Meeting

This meeting provided a project overview, identified how the community could get involved and had staff answer questions.

Download the

Community Engagement Phase 2: Exploring Design Options

In this phase of the community engagement process, a draft design of the community recreation centre was presented to the community for feedback.

July 2021

Youth Engagement

To ensure the centre is designed to be welcoming for local youth, the project team held online youth workshops with two local grade five classrooms (Davisville Senior Public School and Maurice Cody Junior Public School) and one local grade 11 Architectural Design classroom (Northern Secondary School). Each interactive virtual workshop lasted approximately 30 to 60 minutes.

Download the engagement summary.

June 25 to July 25, 2021

Online Survey

A draft design for the new Centre was developed based on community feedback collected in the spring. The online survey was available from June 25 to July 25, allowing community members to explore the draft design and provide feedback.

Videos explaining the draft design are available, with auto-generated translated subtitles:

Download the survey summary.

June 2021

Phase 2 of Public Consultation Begins

The goal of this phase of engagement is to present and get community feedback on a draft Centre design.

June 15, 2021

Stakeholder Advisory Committee Meeting 2

The purpose of the second Davisville Community and Aquatic Centre Stakeholder Advisory Committee was to test-run the public presentation for this phase of engagement, which will later be recorded to accompany the online survey; present and gather feedback on the draft design for the new Davisville Community and Aquatic Centre; answer questions of clarification; and, share next steps.

Download the meeting summary.

Community Engagement Phase 3: Setting the Direction

In the final phase of the community engagement process, a proposed community recreation centre design was presented to the community for feedback.

November 2021

Online Survey

Feedback on the proposed design was collected through an online survey from October 27 to November 24. Paper copies of the online survey were also available at Northern District Library and Deer Park Library. In total, over 750 responses were received.

Download the online survey results report.

October 27, 2021

Virtual Public Meeting

This meeting presented the proposed design for the new Davisville Community and Aquatic Centre and provided an opportunity for community members to ask the project team questions and share feedback.

The meeting recording is available on YouTube.

Download the:

October 18, 2021

Stakeholder Advisory Committee Meeting 3

The purpose of the third Davisville Community and Aquatic Centre Stakeholder Advisory Committee was to present and gather feedback on the proposed design for the new centre and to test-run the public presentation.

Download the meeting summary.

Background

Location

The new Davisville Community and Aquatic Centre will be located on the Spectrum Alternative School site, near Yonge Street and Davisville Avenue. It will be a three-story building located beside the new public school, connected through an underground parking lot.

The new Davisville Community and Aquatic Centre (CAC) will be located on the Davisville Junior Public and Spectrum Alternative Senior School site, near Yonge Street and Davisville Avenue. — An aerial map of the facility’s location.

Features

The new three-storey Davisville Community and Aquatic Centre will be accessible, target net zero emission building design and is planned to include:

A six-lane, 25-metre lane pool
A leisure/tot pool
Community, multi-use space
An active roof
WIFI access throughout
Gender-neutral washrooms and change rooms

The new Centre’s community spaces will be available for permitting through the standard Parks and Recreation Facilities Booking process.

Change Room Stalls

People of any gender, gender identity and/or gender expression enter the same change rooms. People remain clothed in all shared spaces and swimwear is worn while showering. All changing occurs in private stalls.

To support privacy and inclusivity, gender-neutral change rooms include:

private changing stalls of different sizes for family and individual use
lockers (locks not be provided)
shared shower area where swimsuits must be worn
enclosed and accessible – Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) – shower and washroom spaces

This inclusive approach to change room space has become an industry standard and has been successfully implemented in new and renovated community recreation centres across the city.

Gender-neutral change rooms provide:

Improved safety, where
- children and their caregivers can use the same space and children do not have to use a change room by themselves
- transgender and non-binary patrons are not required to use gender-specific change rooms
- staff of any gender can respond quickly and without hesitation when entering a change room to provide first aid
- Better sightlines from the pool deck into the change room for staff to enhance patron safety
Improved privacy, as patrons are able to change in a privacy stall rather than an open area
Improved service, as staff can clean facilities with less disruption to programs by closing only one side of the change room at a time
Greater flexibility in delivering and transitioning different types of programs. For example: gender-specific programs can be offered at the same time as gender non-specific programs

Facility Sharing

The Davisville Community and Aquatic Centre will share facilities with the new Davisville Junior Public School next door, through a partnership with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). The school will have access to the aquatic facility’s swimming pools and the City will have access to the school’s double gymnasium and underground parking garage outside of school hours to support City recreation programming.

As a result of negotiations with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) led by the local Councillor, a plan to jointly redevelop Davisville Junior Public School with a City of Toronto recreation facility was proposed. The City of Toronto then undertook a recreation needs assessment which analyzed current and future demographic projections, confirming the community’s need for a new aquatics facility with space for City-operated sport and physical activity programming. In order to meet these recreation needs, in July 2016 the City entered into an agreement with the TDSB to:

Lease land from the TDSB to build an aquatic community recreation centre that will be owned and operated by the City of Toronto.
Invest in the redevelopment of the Davisville Junior Public School to gain shared use of space to the school’s new gymnasium, ancillary spaces and underground garage.

Davisville Junior Public School is complete.

Sustainability

Davisville Community and Aquatic Centre will be one of the first net zero community recreation centres to be built in Canada. The building will target net zero emissions and energy with:

A 100 per cent electric building that is not powered by any fossil fuels
Energy-efficient building with well-insulated windows, walls and roof
Geothermal and air source heat pumps to heat and cool the building (electric boiler backup)
Ventilation that provides 85 per cent heat recovery efficiency
Drain water heat recovery