Loyalist Township celebrates the opening of its new pool

After the old pool reached the end of its life, council began planning for a new facility

The community came together on Saturday to celebrate the grand opening of the Barr Homes Aquatic Centre at the W.J. Henderson Recreation Centre in Amherstview.

The new facility opened for a soft launch on July 20th offering lane swims, leisure swims, aquafit and more.

KingstonDaily.ca spoke with some members of the community at the opening to get their reaction to the new facility.

Some have already used the pool multiple times and give it high praise.

The old pool had reached the end of its life, with Mayor Jim Hegadorn sharing they tried to push it further, "but it failed."

Council then made the decision to go ahead and start planning for a new pool, which took about 4-years to get to today. 

It was announced in October 2025 that Loyalist Township had approved a naming rights agreement with Barr Homes in recognition of a significant contribution of $250,000.

Barr Homes has over 70 years of history in the construction industry of Kingston and the surrounding areas. Jordan Barr shared what this contribution means for their family.

More contributions came from naming partners Latham Pools and the Savage family, as well as the City of Kingston and the fundraising committee.

Ric Bresee, speaking as the former mayor of Loyalist Township, said seeing the project come to completion was very exciting.

Speaking also as the MPP for Hastings-Lennox and Addington, Bresee said the province recognized the fiscal challenges a municipality would face during a project of this magnitude, noting "they can't do it on their own."

For more information on the pool and programs being provided, you can visit the Township's website. (https://www.loyalist.ca/explore-and-play/recreation/aquatics-and-swimming/barr-homes-aquatic-centre/)

Written by Emily Chatwood