Canadore College to build new $8.5M indoor sports complex
Canadore College in North Bay is building a much-coveted multi-use sports complex, which has been in the works for the last 10 years.
It will be located behind the college's Commerce Court campus and will allow for year-round sports, training and sport development for local leagues and student athletes.
Artist rendering of Canadore College's new sports dome. June 16/22 (Eric Taschner/CTV Northern Ontario)
"This facility will give us that competitive advantage where we can now go and compete at a higher level," said Michael Miscio, the coach for Canadore men’s indoor soccer team.
Canadore's multi-use facility will feature an 85,000-square-foot dome with indoor turf and hard court surfaces.
Sports including soccer, tennis, basketball and baseball can be played in the building. A driving range is also going to be available.
There will also be opportunities for training and sports conditioning in the dome.
"We're at a real disadvantage. We practice and prepare in North Bay, typically in indoor facilities like the gym, through the fall semester and then we compete in a facility we've never practiced in," Miscio said when asked how his team will benefit from the building.
The build will cost more than $8.5 million.
Additionally, a 6,200-square-foot clubhouse will be attached with much-needed change rooms and meeting space. The facility will be open to the public and outside teams and leagues on a fee-for-use basis.
"We're the only club in both our leagues, whether it be the NFC or the OSFL, that doesn't have a facility like this," said Marc Mathon, the North Bay Bulldogs Football Club president.
"We can start in September we can go to mid-October and go inside and go until Christmas."
Over the years, North Bay Mayor Al Mcdonald heard from sports fans and athletes about the need for an indoor turf.
Thursday's announcement follows on the heels of a $26-million funding promise made on the weekend by the federal Liberal government for the new twin-pad arena and recreation centre in West Ferris.
"When you really look at it, they complement one another," McDonald said.
"We've got indoor turf where our citizens wanted one, but we knew Canadore was going to do it. They knew we were going to do a walking track for seniors. There was no need to duplicate it here."
The project is a 10-year dream, which started through a city feasibility study done to assess the need to build or improve recreation facilities.
"We really wanted to dust off this project and make it a reality,” said George Burton, the college's president and CEO.
"I said 'Fine. We can do it, but we have to work awfully hard to make it a reality,' and they did. So I have to give kudos to our senior team."
Construction starts right away and it's expected the indoor sports complex will be open by September 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Security guard shot, seriously injured outside of Drake's Toronto mansion
A security guard working at Drake’s Bridle Path mansion in Toronto was seriously injured in a shooting outside the residence early Tuesday morning.
King Charles too busy to see son Prince Harry during U.K. trip
Prince Harry will not be seeing his father King Charles during his current visit to Britain as the monarch will be too busy, Harry's spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Your body needs these three forms of movement every week
Movement is movement, right? Not exactly. Here’s what your body is looking for in addition to your morning walk or yoga session, according to experts.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Quebec to limit sperm donations per donor after 3 men from same family father hundreds of children
Quebec is looking at tightening the regulations around sperm donation in the province following the release of a documentary that revealed three men from the same family fathered hundreds of children.
How to overcome 'savings guilt' when you're living paycheque to paycheque
As the higher cost of living continues to squeeze household budgets, many Canadians find they have even less left over at the end of every month to squirrel away for the future.
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.