A northwest Calgary recreation centre run by a non-profit that strives to provide support for people with disabilities will be permanently shutting down next year.
Vecova says its Aquatics, Health and Fitness facilities on 33 Street NW will close down for good by the end of June 2025 due to a lack of funding.
“Vecova was unable to receive the necessary funding commitments to construct a new state-of-the-art facility for our work and for the community,” reads a release from the organization.
The current facility was built in 1969 and the organization says the cost to renovate the building is around 75 per cent of the cost to build a brand new facility.
For decades, the fitness centre offered adaptive programming for people with disabilities and CEO Kelly Holmes-Binns says the closure will leave a huge hole in the community.
“They feel a sense of inclusion and belonging when they join our classes,” she says. “They don’t find it anywhere else in the city. They feel comfortable being here.”
The permanent shut down means there will be several programs that won’t be offered beyond next June (Full list below).
The organization says their main facility and offices, as well as Bottle Depot, will close in the fall of 2025, when many of the services will be relocated.
“This is not the end of Vecova,” reads the release. “Our programs and services for people with disabilities will continue to be delivered even after the building’s closure.”
The company says they are working to ensure “smooth transitions” and they do not expect any interruptions to their disability services.
Vecova will host an open house on Oct. 17 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. to provide information for people who use their programs.
Programs that will no longer be offered by Vecova after June 2025 include:
- All pool-related programming, including swim lessons, public swimming and aquatics classes
- All fitness and recreation programming
- Summer camps
- Adaptive recreation programs
- Facility rentals
- Bottle Depot in the fall 2025
Programs Vecova will continue to deliver include: - Housing
- Wayfinder
- Employment Supports, including Youth Programs
- Mental Health Services
- Training
- Specialized Group Programs
With files from Tiffany Goodwein