Everything's Bigger in Calgary: Pools #830 and #831
Updated: 6 days ago
4 October 2026
Forget that old slogan that "Everything's bigger in Texas" ... at least when it comes to YMCA facilities. If you want to go to the biggest YMCA in the entire world**, you have to head south of Calgary, Alberta to the Brookfield Residential YMCA at Seton.
I took great advantage of their 10 lane, 50 meter pool (now #830 on my #1001pools list) on four separate visits when we were out there for a family wedding in early October ...
... getting in three long course sessions and one short course session on Monday morning when they pushed the bulkhead forward. I also took advantage of their impressive free weight / machine gym area to keep up my dryland routines. As the picture above doesn't quite do justice to the light flowing in, this video from the bleachers gives a slightly better, if quick, view of those.
In the battle of the residential builders, it looks like Shane Homes took a more adventurous architectural approach to another massive YMCA, the Shane Homes YMCA at Rocky Ridge, north of Calgary ...
... with three floors of fitness under a curved roof which, if not in actual design or material, still is reminiscent on the exterior view of the wavy look of the London Aquatic Centre:
While the pool, from a competitive swimmer's standpoint isn't on par with that at Brookfield, the eight lane, 25 meter tank was functional enough for me to get in 2,000 meters so I could call this pool #831. It's certainly more interesting to look up at the curved roof, though it would be annoying to do backstroke here (something architects probably never think of as they try to push the envelope of design!).
However, as nice as each of these facilities were, no visit of mine to Calgary is complete without visiting one of the "OG" pools on my list, the now-named MNP Community & Sports Centre. This is pool #15 on my list, which I started in 2007 ... pictures below from 2012 (L) and this visit (R) ...
... but I first swam here in the last century under its original name, the Lindsay Park Sports Centre, and have been coming back through all of its sponsor name changes, including when it was the Repsol Centre and the Talisman Centre. It remains my favorite pool facility in the city, with two 50 meter pools and then the 25 meter dive tank, along with a few kids play areas.
I'm glad the Albertans have decided to stick with Canada for the foreseeable future, as it is a province blessed with great pools!
** At least when measured by floor space at 330,000 square feet.
