Until this past October, the fastest-growing town in Canada did not have an indoor pool. East Gwillimbury grew 44.4 percent between 2016 and 2021, from 23,991 people to 34,637, and for all of that growth, swim lessons still meant driving to a neighbouring town. The Health and Active Living Plaza, which everyone here just calls the HALP Centre, is the town catching up to its own population in one 80,000-square-foot move. Six months after opening weekend, I want to walk through what actually got built, because it changes the day-to-day math for families considering a move here.
What $76.5 Million Built in Queensville
The HALP Centre sits at 160 Jim Mortson Drive in Queensville, on the west side of Leslie Street just north of Doane Road, on a 16-acre site. The building came in at $76.5 million and opened with a grand-opening weekend October 17 to 19, 2025, with free swims, fitness classes, library demos, and a smudging ceremony led by the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation.
The part Buyers usually find surprising: the building was funded entirely through development charges. The town took on no debt, and the mayor made a point of saying it came at no cost to the taxpayer. Growth paid for this. The town had been planning the facility to open as East Gwillimbury approached 40,000 residents, which is roughly where it is heading now.
East Gwillimbury's First Indoor Pool
The aquatic centre is the headline. It's the town's first, and the Town didn't build a starter pool: an 8-lane lap pool with a diving board, a separate leisure pool with a lazy river, and a warm-water therapy pool for rehab and low-impact programs. Swimming lessons and drop-in swims run year-round, and as of this spring the Town was recruiting a competitive swim club to call the building home. If you've spent years driving your kids down Yonge Street for lessons, you already understand what that list means.
A Library Branch, a Walking Track, and a Teaching Kitchen
The rest of the building covers a lot of ground. There's a full gymnasium with an elevated walking track above it, a fitness centre, program rooms including a teaching kitchen, an indoor play structure, and a café. The common areas are free to walk into, no membership required, and the building runs 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays.
The HALP also houses the Queensville branch of the East Gwillimbury Public Library, the town's third branch after Holland Landing and Mount Albert. It opened with roughly 26,000 items, three study rooms, a makerspace with a 3D printer and laser engraver, and a recording studio you can book. For memberships, the Town moved to a simple system in June 2025: 10-visit passes per program area, or monthly all-access for swim, fitness, and the gym and track.
By the numbers: $76.5M building · more than 80,000 sq ft · 8-lane lap pool, lazy river, and therapy pool · EG's third library branch · opened October 17–19, 2025 · 8-acre outdoor park opening later in 2026
The 8-Acre Park Is Still Coming
The outdoor half of the site isn't finished. A $9.8 million park is under construction around the building, with a splash pad, a skateboard and scooter park, a bike pump track, pickleball courts, beach volleyball, two playgrounds, and an event pavilion. The Town's stated timeline is an opening later in 2026. So a family touring the building today is seeing the indoor program at full strength and the outdoor program still behind fencing. Judge it accordingly, but the contract is awarded and the work is underway, so this is a near-term projection rather than a promise on a sign.
Why a Rec Centre Moves the Needle for Queensville
I write a lot about what's coming to Queensville: the new schools, the newly confirmed Southlake hospital site, the Bradford Bypass. The HALP Centre belongs in a different category, because it's open. A completed amenity is different from a promised one, and this is the first piece of Queensville's big-town infrastructure that families can actually use this weekend.
It's also a signal worth reading. The grand opening was sponsored by the land developers building out Queensville, including the Queensville Group, AspenRidge, Countrywide, and Lakeview Homes, and the Town sized the building for the 40,000-resident town East Gwillimbury is becoming. Nobody spends $76.5 million on a community centre for a town they expect to stay small. For Buyers comparing EG against more established towns like Newmarket or Aurora, the honest version used to be that EG trades amenities for space and price. That gap just got measurably narrower.
Bottom line: The HALP Centre is the first piece of Queensville's promised infrastructure that is fully built and open: the town's first indoor pool, its third library branch, and an 8-acre park on the way. For families weighing EG, the amenity gap against the older towns just narrowed.
Common Questions
What is the Health and Active Living Plaza in East Gwillimbury?
The Health and Active Living Plaza, which everyone here just calls the HALP Centre, is East Gwillimbury's $76.5 million community hub at 160 Jim Mortson Drive in Queensville. It opened in October 2025 with the town's first indoor pool, its third library branch, a fitness centre, a walking track, and a teaching kitchen. It was funded entirely through development charges, so it came with no taxpayer debt.
Does the Health and Active Living Plaza have a pool?
Yes, and it's the town's first indoor pool: an 8-lane lap pool with a diving board, a separate leisure pool with a lazy river, and a warm-water therapy pool for rehab and low-impact programs. Year-round lessons and drop-in swims run there.
Is the HALP Centre park open yet?
Not yet. A $9.8 million, 8-acre outdoor park is under construction around the building, with a splash pad, a skate and scooter park, a bike pump track, pickleball and beach volleyball courts, two playgrounds, and an event pavilion. The Town's stated timeline is an opening later in 2026.
Want to See the Neighbourhoods Around It?
Most of the homes within a short walk of the HALP Centre are in Queensville's newer phases, and what is available shifts month to month. If you're weighing a move to East Gwillimbury and want to understand which streets and communities put this building in your weekly routine, email me or call. I'm happy to walk you through it.