Thanks to the City of Calgary for sponsoring this post!
Winters in Calgary can be long. Although I love taking the kids outside to play in the snow, toboggan or go skating, we still end up a little stir crazy. But you don’t have to just suffer through the kids bouncing off the wall this winter. The City of Calgary has the cure to your family’s cabin fever – just drop into one of their aquatic, recreation or leisure centres for some active family fun!
All of The City’s aquatic, recreation and leisure centres offer family drop-in options for swimming. The City of Calgary also has a few facilities that offer other activities such as drop-in skating, climbing, gymnastics and indoor sports like basketball, volleyball and badminton. It is also an affordable option – a leisure centre family day pass is almost half of what it costs to take a family of 4 to the movies.
To help you choose the right facility for your family, I’ve outlined the different features they offer below.
Leisure Centres
1. Southland Leisure Centre
Palliser – 2000 Southland Drive S.W.
Southland Leisure Centre is the most comprehensive of the city facilities. It features many drop-in options including a waterpark, public skating, climbing wall, gymnastics, basketball, badminton, pickleball as well as other indoor sports. The water park has a wave pool, waterslides, splash zone, tot pool and hot tub. On Thursday nights they offer ‘Toys in the Waterpark’ – you can walk on water inside a big ball, test your skills on a floating obstacles course and more! Wrist bands are provided that give in-and-out privileges for the day.
2. Village Square Leisure Centre
Pineridge – 2623 56 Street N.E.
Village Square Leisure Centre, doesn’t just have a pool – it has a safari-themed water park. The waterpark includes a wave pool, huge water slides, a dive tank, tot pool, splash zone and hot tub. My family has been here many times and always have a fantastic time. Younger kids may find the waves to be a bit much, but they only run periodically and there is a warning before they begin so you can hop out while they are going. Your admission also gives you access to drop-in public skating times and open-gymnasium times (badminton, soccer, basketball) when offered. Wrist bands are provided that give in-and-out privileges for the day.
Aquatic & Recreation Centres
All City aquatic and recreation centres include an indoor pool. Some pools also have additional features such as pool slides, hot tubs and rope swings. A few of the aquatic and recreation offer additional drop-in options as well.
Tier 1 Facilities
- Acadia Aquatic and Fitness Centre – Acadia – 9009 Fairmount Drive S.E.
(two 2-metre pool slides and rope - Beltline Aquatic & Fitness Centre – Beltline – 221 12 Avenue. S.W.
This pool is a bit smaller than the others, but they also offer times for drop-in climbing (ages 4+) and a gymnasium with drop-in times for basketball, open-gym and family-sports - Foothills Aquatic Centre – University Heights – 2915 24 Avenue N.W.
(wading pool, diving pool with diving board and 1.5 metre slide) - Glenmore Aquatic Centre – North Glenmore – 5330 19 Street S.W.
(Dive pool with 1 metre diving board, hot tub) - Inglewood Aquatic Centre – Inglewood – 1527 17 Avenue S.E.
(rope swing, 2 metre slide and aquatic climbing wall) - Shouldice Aquatic Centre – Montgomery – 5303 Bowness Road N.W.
(dive pool with 1 metre slide, 1.5 metre & 3 metre diving boards)
Tier 2 Facilities
- Bob Bahan Aquatic & Fitness Centre – Forest Lawn/Forest Heights – 4812 14 Avenue S.E.
(Dive pool with 1 metre diving board, hot tub)
Note: Closed until mid-January 2019 for maintenance and renovations. - Canyon Meadows Aquatic & Fitness Centre – Canyon Meadows – 89 Canova Road S.W.
(Diving pool with 1.5 metre slide, hot tub)
Note: Pool facilities closed until early-February 2019 for maintenance and renovations. - Killarney Aquatic and Recreation Centre – Killarney – 1919 29 Street S.W.
(Teach pool, dive pool with 1 metre diving board, hot tub. Also offers family drop-in BassBurns, dance-based fitness classes) - Renfrew Aquatic & Recreation Centre – Renfrew – 810 13 Avenue N.E.
(Dive pool with 1 metre diving board, hot tub) - Shouldice Aquatic Centre – Montgomery – 5303 Bowness Road N.W.
(Dive pool with 1 metre slide, 1.5 & 3 metre diving boards) - Sir Winston Churchill Aquatic & Recreation Centre – Brentwood – 1520 Northmount Drive N.W.
(hot tub) - Thornhill Aquatic & Recreation Centre – Huntington Hills – 6715 Centre Street N.W.
(Dive pool with 1 metre diving board, hot tub)
Arenas
Many of the City-run arenas offers times for public skating (on stat holidays they are even free!). Parent-child shinny times are also offered at some City arenas. For more information about the arenas and public skating times – http://calgary.ca/arenas
- Ed Whalen and Joseph Kryczka Arenas at Southland Leisure Centre – 2000 Southland Drive S.W. – (public skating admission is included with day-pass)
- Ernie Starr Arena – 4808 14 Ave. S.E. (near Bob Bahan Aquatic & Fitness Centre)
- Murray Copot Arena – 6727 Centre Street N.W. (adjacent to Thornhill Aquatic and Recreation Centre
- Optimist and George Blundun Arenas – Glendale – 5020 26 Avenue S.W.
- Rose Kohn and Jimmie Condon Arenas – Kingsland – 502 Heritage Drive S.W.
- Shouldice Arena – 1515 Home Road N.W. Calgary (near Shouldice Aquatic Centre)
- Stew Hendry and Henry Viney Arenas – 814 13 Avenue N.E. (near Renfrew Aquatic & Recreation Centre)
- Stu Peppard Arena – 5300 19 Street S.W. (near Glenmore Aquatic Centre) – public skating only on some stat holidays
- Village Square Arenas at Village Square Leisure Centre – 2623 56 Street N.E. (public skating admission is included with day-pass)
I can’t wait to try more of these facilities with my family this year. With so many great options, your cabin fever is sure to be a thing of the past!
For more information: http://Calgary.ca/cabinfever
[photos courtesy of The City of Calgary]