Regina, Canada breaks ground on indoor pool facility with deep geothermal heating

Artist's rendition of the future indoor aquatics facility in Regina, Canada (source: City of Regina)

Carlo Cariaga 20 Aug 2025

The city of Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada has officially broken ground on the construction of an indoor aquatics facility (IAF) that features, among other amenities, a deep geothermal heating system. The plan is to drill to a depth of 2000 meters, where thermal waters at 60 C are expected.

When completed, the IAD will feature two Olympic-sized pools, a wave pool, waterslides, dry lang training spaces, outdoor play areas, and community areas. The project is expected to be completed in 2029. The total budget for the project is $313.6 million, $28.5 million of which will go towards the geothermal heating facility.

“The system is modelled to sustain itself with unlimited hot water for at least 70 years,” said Erik Nickel, Chief Operating Officer of PTRC Sustainable Energy. “It builds on Saskatchewan’s oil and gas drilling expertise, now applied in an urban atmosphere.”

Realizing the project has taken more than a decade, with the initial feasibility study completed back in 2010. Advocates for the project persevered through the years, arguing that the facility will allow the city to host national swimming events and will provide a site for children to practice aquatic sports.

Geothermal development for direct use applications has been gaining growing attention in Saskatchewan. In 2022, the University of Regena in Estevan undertook a study to evaluate the viability of integrating geothermal energy into a greenhouse complex. Before that, Moose Jaw committed to a study to evaluate geothermal as an energy source for a planned agri-food industrial park. Of course, Saskatchewan is also the site of the planned 30-MW geothermal power project of DEEP Earth Energy Production Corp. (DEEP).

Source: CJME