The City of Hamilton will temporarily close two community centres this fall to complete accessibility and lifecycle upgrades.

Bennetto Community Centre closed on August 4 and will remain closed until fall this year while crews renovate the auditorium, gymnasium, and washrooms. The project includes new interior and exterior ramps, audio-visual upgrades, new gymnasium flooring, improvements to the universal washroom, and modifications to two existing washrooms to support broader non-gendered access. The city expects to reopen community rooms and the pool in phases before work on the gymnasium and auditorium is complete.

At Sir Winston Churchill Recreation Centre, the closure will allow crews to replace the pool filtration system while completing accessibility improvements and other lifecycle renewal work throughout the facility. The city bundled the projects into a single shutdown to reduce future service disruptions and complete the work more efficiently. The recreation centre reopens in the fall.

City staff have directed users affected by the closures to nearby recreation centers that offer registered and drop-in programs. Swimmers who normally use Bennetto can visit Central Memorial Recreation Centre, Norman Pinky Lewis Recreation Centre, or Kanétskare Recreation Centre. Sir Winston Churchill users can also use the Central Memorial Recreation Centre, Norman Pinky Lewis Recreation Centre, or the Sir Wilfrid Laurier Recreation Centre.

The projects are part of the city’s ongoing recreation infrastructure renewal program, which focuses on extending facility life, improving accessibility, and modernizing public recreation amenities while minimizing long-term service interruptions.