Farewell Leisure Centre

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For over 30 years, the Leisure Centre has been a monumental recreation facility in Grande Prairie. Since opening its doors in 1976, it has served as a regional hub for local tournaments, swim meets and other programs and services. The facility featured a swimming pool, fitness center and the Johnny MacDonald Arena. The venue (previously known as the Recplex) hosted many concerts in its history including Kim Mitchell, Haywire, Bryan Adams and more.

For many years, the Leisure Centre was Grande Prairie's primary indoor recreation facility until the opening of the Eastlink Centre in 2011. Since then, the aquatics centre closed its doors while the Johnny MacDonald Arena operated as an indoor soccer pitch from 2012-2022. In July of 2018, the Leisure Centre was home of the Alberta Summer Games Office.

In the summer of 2021, City Council approved the full demolition of the Leisure Centre including the soccer pitch due to structural issues with the facility. The demolition will take place in conjunction with the old Composite High School and is set to begin this summer.

Share your memories

The Leisure Centre served many residents, staff and community members throughout its years, and we invite everyone to share their memories of the facility to celebrate its life in Grande Prairie. Share your stories, pictures, and memories under the Stories tab below.


For over 30 years, the Leisure Centre has been a monumental recreation facility in Grande Prairie. Since opening its doors in 1976, it has served as a regional hub for local tournaments, swim meets and other programs and services. The facility featured a swimming pool, fitness center and the Johnny MacDonald Arena. The venue (previously known as the Recplex) hosted many concerts in its history including Kim Mitchell, Haywire, Bryan Adams and more.

For many years, the Leisure Centre was Grande Prairie's primary indoor recreation facility until the opening of the Eastlink Centre in 2011. Since then, the aquatics centre closed its doors while the Johnny MacDonald Arena operated as an indoor soccer pitch from 2012-2022. In July of 2018, the Leisure Centre was home of the Alberta Summer Games Office.

In the summer of 2021, City Council approved the full demolition of the Leisure Centre including the soccer pitch due to structural issues with the facility. The demolition will take place in conjunction with the old Composite High School and is set to begin this summer.

Share your memories

The Leisure Centre served many residents, staff and community members throughout its years, and we invite everyone to share their memories of the facility to celebrate its life in Grande Prairie. Share your stories, pictures, and memories under the Stories tab below.

Leisure Centre Stories

Do you have any photos or memories of the Leisure Centre? Share them here by September 8 to help celebrate the Leisure Centre's impact on our community!

I hereby grant the City of Grande Prairie the non-exclusive right to use, reproduce, publish and distribute the photograph(s)/ video(s) I upload in print or electronic media, including but not limited to websites, social media platforms, brochures, newsletters and advertisements. I hereby release the City of Grande Prairie from any claims, demands, or causes of action arising out of or in connection with the use of the photograph(s)/ video(s) including but not limited to legal claims. I understand that I will not receive any financial compensation for use of the photograph(s)/ video(s) and this release is voluntary.

Thank you for sharing your story with us.
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    National Bronze Medal

    by BigPaulT, over 1 year ago
    My fondest memory of the Leisure Centre/Johnny McDonald Arena was the 1989 Canadian Colleges Athletic Association (CCAA) National Women's Basketball Championship. I had moved to Grande Prairie in July 1988 to work as a news reporter at CJXX before moving into sports in November of that year. So part of my role was covering the CCAA Nationals. From interviewing the World Famous San Diego Chicken (aka Ted Giannoulous) to watching a tremendously entertaining tournament in what normally was a hockey arena transformed into a basketball venue, the event has so many memories for me. To see the emotion when the... Continue reading
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    Shallow end whirlpool

    by Debbie, over 1 year ago
    One day we had a home school event and rented the entire pool. We had enough people come together in the shallow part and all walk in a circle long enough that the water had a current. You could pick your feet up and get carried along in the water. Such fun. I think it is probably a core memory for quite a few people.
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    Swimming Lessons

    by Sabrina Wilson, over 1 year ago

    I’ll always remember the one day I had swimming lessons as a kid with our class and our instructor had us treading water in the deep end when “Follow Me” by Uncle Kracker came. Our Instructor started signing along and we all joined in as we were breathlessly treading water. It was such a fun time and one I’ll always remember. On the way home from swimming lessons, I’ll never forget the feeling of reaching my bus seat, digging into my lunch kit and eating those leftover animal crackers like they were a pack of dunkaroos or gushers 😄