Photos courtesy Ville de Gatineau

The new Gatineau sports centre in Quebec features an eight-lane, 50-m competition pool with an adjustable depth floor in the shallow end to allow for a variety of activities.

Quebec's new Gatineau sports centre officially opened its doors to the public this month, welcoming members of the community to an open house featuring self-guided tours and information sessions to learn more about the unique facility.

Located at the corner of boulevard de la Gappe and boulevard de la Cité, the 18,500-m² (199,132-sf) centre will be home to several aquatic events, including recreational, competitive and synchronized swimming, water polo, diving and underwater hockey.

Aquatic amenities include:
• an irregularly shaped recreational pool with three unique areas—a 25-m (82-ft) three-lane swimming pool, a wading section with a gradual depth to 1 m (3.3 ft) and an area with fountains and a slide;
• a 50-m competition pool with eight lanes, ranging from 2 to 5 m (6.5 to 16.5 ft) in depth;
• two 1-m (3.3-ft) and two 3-m (9.8-ft) diving boards;
• a diving tower with 3-, 5-, 7.5- and 10-m (9.8-, 16.5-, 24.6- and 32.8-ft) platforms; and
• a whirlpool and sauna.

One of the facility's most unique features is the movable floor at the one end of the competition pool, which can be raised for swimming lessons or aqua fitness classes and lowered for competitions. (The International Amateur Swimming Federation [IASF] requires a minimum depth of 1.35 m [4.4 ft]).

"Gatineau wanted a complex that would be for the people, not just the elite athletes," André Cadieux, Gatineau's manager of infrastructure, told The Ottawa Citizen. "If the pool was 2-m (6.5-ft) deep, it would have been only for the elite. With the movable floor, we can have family-related activities."

The facility was built by Decarel Inc., at a cost of nearly $50.4 million (including $20 million from the Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund [MRIF]). The City of Gatineau expects the building to be awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED Canada) certification for its use of geothermal wells for heating and air conditioning, as well as systems designed to reduce potable water use.

The centre will serve as the main venue for aquatic events during the 2010 Quebec Summer Games (Jeux du Québec de 2010), taking place July 29 to August 6.

The aquatic facility officially opened its doors to the public in June.