Summer is basically here, school is almost out, and both the kids and the adults need some leisure time. Each of these facilities includes aquatics, fitness studios, running tracks and gymnasiums. Many of them also have ice rinks for some off-season training. The best part is all the various drop-in sessions that will help keep things less lethargic and more cathartic.
9100 Walterdale Hill | Mon-Fri 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. | Sat 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. | Sun 7:00 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Kinsmen is the king of the courts in Edmonton, with two racquetball courts, two North American Squash courts, three regulation badminton courts, three tennis courts and two volleyball/basketball courts. Overall, the facility is huge and provides three different fitness centres, two studios and two tracks. It even has a batting cage for baseball.
On top of that, it has one of the best athletics-centred aquatics centres in the city, with two pools, a deep tank and a 10-metre diving platform. Spend time swimming inside or outside because the Queen Elizabeth Outdoor Pool is also open for summer. Right next to it is a playground, sports fields and some of the best walking trails in the City.
2704 17 Street | Mon-Fri 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. | Sat-Sun 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Both The Meadows’ and Clareview’s recreation centres are right next to their respective branches of the Edmonton Public Library, making them both two-in-one stops for keeping both your mind and body busy.
The Meadows is also home to expansive outdoor facilities as well, including ball diamonds, outdoor basketball courts and a spray deck. Inside, there is a track, fitness studios and a gymnasium.
3804 139 Avenue | Mon-Fri 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. | Sat-Sun 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
With the library right next to it, a hockey arena, fitness studios, ball courts and an aquatics facility, Clareview might have the most comprehensive facility in the city. The aquatics centre is just as stacked as any other, with a waterslide, lazy river and an eight-lane pool.
The facilities also extend outside with the Clareview District Park’s seven sports fields, which include three baseball diamonds. Did we mention there is also an outdoor skatepark?
2051 Leger Road | Mon-Fri 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. | Sat-Sun 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
One of the best reasons to live in Edmonton’s southwest is close access to this hub in Terwillegar. It has eight lanes of swimming, a hot tub whirlpool, a lazy river and a waterslide. It’s also got a multi-sports section with three full-sized gymnasiums for pickleball, tennis and drop-in sessions.
What stands out at this facility are the four NHL-sized ice rinks. With hockey season out, there are plenty of free public skating sessions to keep your legs warm over the summer. There are also shinny games available with admission.
2000 Premier Way, Sherwood Park | Mon-Fri 5 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. | Sat-Sun 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Sherwood Park’s Millennium Place has a great indoor water play park for the kids and an overall awesome aquatics facility. One of the highlights for parents here is the Edu-tainment section that offers an indoor playground with its own child-friendly bouldering rock wall. Then while the kids have fun, you can relax and take it easy from the comfort of a sauna, steam room, or whirlpool hot tub.
While the other facilities on this list include full-size NHL rinks and Olympic-sized ones, Millennium Place also has a more relaxed, less-competition-focused leisure indoor ice pond that’s great for kids or people developing their skating skills.
400 Campbell Rd, St. Albert | Mon-Fri 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. | Sat-Sun 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
For all the folks in or near St. Albert, this facility has served as a community hub for years. Like others, it has three ice rinks (one named after local hockey legend Mark Messier), a fitness facility, an indoor track, gymnasiums and a field house. And when it comes to aquatics, why have one waterslide when you can have two?
You can also get the kids a safe start in using fitness facilities with the Smart Start for Teens program (required for children ages 12-15 to use the fitness facilities), which helps teach teens the basics of safe weight-lifting and gym etiquette.
