The City of St. Thomas, Ontario, is asking residents for their thoughts on draft documents that will guide parks, trails and recreation investments through 2035. The project includes a Community and Aquatic Centre Feasibility Study that specifically examines the potential for a multi-purpose indoor aquatic and turf facility to serve a growing population.
The update responds to projected population growth tied largely to the arrival of Volkswagen’s PowerCo (the Volkswagen-backed PowerCo SE) battery cell gigafactory in St. Thomas. Background projections used in the studies show the community may add nearly 20,000 residents over the next decade. The city’s previous major recreation plan was prepared in 2019 and the new work is intended to account for that altered growth outlook and increased demand for year‑round indoor recreation.
A central element of the work is feasibility analysis for a large indoor facility that could include an aquatics component and indoor turf for sports such as soccer. Community feedback and the feasibility work note shortages of competitive-length swimming lanes and growing demand for indoor turf and court-based activities (including a spike in interest in pickleball).
The studies also look at how to manage aging outdoor assets such as the Jaycee Pool and ways to improve the trail network. Local coverage has highlighted the likely need for provincial and federal funding partnerships to deliver a major new facility: St. Thomas Today quoted Mayor Joe Preston saying the city “cannot do this all on our own” in relation to a potential $60M+ price tag, and other outlets including the London Free Press have reported the city will be seeking senior‑government support as it plans for the coming growth.
Public engagement has been active across 2025 and into 2026. A community survey was reported in February 2025. The City of St. Thomas’s project page currently shows draft plans available for review, an open house at Joe Thornton Community Centre on January 22, 2026 (2–4 p.m. and 6–8 p.m.), a written comment deadline of February 13, 2026, and a planned presentation of the finalized plans to City Council on March 9, 2026.
The technical work is being led by Monteith Brown Planning Consultants in partnership with the City. Officials say the dual studies form a road map for investment through 2035, assessing site selection criteria, cost estimates, phasing options, and funding/partnership models to address both immediate and growth‑related recreation needs.
