Long after August, 2021, opportunities created by the Canada Summer Games will leave a lasting positive effect on Niagara, said Doug Hamilton.
The chair of the Games was introduced by Mayor Terry Ugulini, who made it clear that “no details with respect to financial aspects” would be presented until a near-future council meeting.
“Our goal is to try to get it to council Nov. 19,” said the mayor.
Joining Ugulini in representing the City of Thorold at the information session were Councillors John Kenny, Ken Sentance, Nella Dekker and Fred Neale, along with senior City staff.
Accompanied by Matt Hill, Hamilton gave an overview of the Games, which began in 1967, as part of Canada’s centennial celebration. Since then, they have “rotated across the country, every two years, in the off years from the Summer Olympics. It’s a celebration of sport and culture,” said Hamilton, and will feature 18 different sports, along with “cultural events in every municipality, plus events leading up to them. We’re the only country in the world that has youth games like this, celebrating the best youth in the country.”
He added, “Many of our Olympic athletes had their start in the Summer Games.”
Competing against Ottawa, Waterloo and Sudbury, Niagara won the bid to host the Games in 2021.
The two-week event will see an influx of 5,000 top-notch athletes, and will be run entirely by 4,000 volunteers, making it “very high in community engagement.”
The other reason “communities are so excited about the Games is the infrastructure that comes with it,” which, in turn, leads to job creation, business attraction, and enhanced tourism, he said.
“The Canada Games in Niagara is a wonderful opportunity to encourage economic growth and enhance Ontario’s reputation as a sport and recreational tourist destination.”
The Games will create “2,100 jobs, just by the construction of this facility, but the ongoing job creation from hosting the event is important,” he added.
Hamilton cited the Welland Flatwater Centre, which was created for the Pan Am Games, as well as infrastructure constructed for past Games in Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver, Whitby, Markham, Milton, Halifax, Thunder Bay, and Red Deer, as legacy facilities that continue to benefit their citizens years after being built.
“Extensive community consultation” has been undertaken by the Games committee, he said, “with our goal to ensure legacy facilities met the needs of the community as well as for the Games. We’re making improvements to baseball and softball diamonds in Niagara, and have started business plans for two key facilities.”
Those two include the Henley Rowing Centre in St. Catharines, and the Canada Games Park on Merrittville Hwy. across from the Niagara Region headquarters.
“We have spent a lot of time making sure we have the funding. We’re only in this for the next two years, then, we hand it off to the municipalities. We have 11 different projects and they align with municipal plans. We went straight to the municipal plans” for guidance, he said.
Thorold’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan noted, “We need to address aging arenas,” as well as acquiring new parks and fitness service providers for its residents.
In 2013, an advisory committee recommended a new arena to replace the Whyte Arena and repairs to the Doherty Arena, at an estimated cost of $15 million to $20 million, said Hamilton.
The Canada Games Facility will be an $84 million dollar facility. Thorold has tentatively committed $7 million.
St. Catharines is facing the same fate with two aging arenas, he added, and that city’s master plan called for “multi-use, multi-generational facilities that are accessible year-round,” and “strategically located.”
Brock University, on the border of St. Catharines and Thorold, has available land adjacent to its main campus, and “is a perfect venue for us because it’s the ideal size for an athlete village. There will be 2,500 athletes coming in week one and 2,500 in week two.”
The committee considered the needs of the two municipalities, plus Brock’s desire to enhance community partnerships.
“When you put those three things together, you come up with what we have planned,” said Hamilton.
Canada Games Park would be strategically located on Brock’s existing parking lots, said Matt Hill.
“Celebration Plaza has a green roof that acts as sustainability, and helps with energy enhancements. Parking would be available specifically for the facilities, and there’s a track and field complex with a green roof, a beach volleyball facility for recreation and other leagues. There’s been a need for indoor recreation space in Niagara.”
A “quad gymnasium” would accommodate four full-size basketball courts, and space for combative sports, such as wrestling.
Also needed in Niagara is an indoor walking/running track, he said, so a 200-metre, four-lane track will be located on the second floor; warm all year long, and suitable for seniors and all other ages.
Two arenas are planned for ice hockey and figure skating, and “dry floor sports like lacrosse, in the summer.”
One arena would have 1,000 seats and the other would be “a community focus rink” with fewer seats, “but available for groups.”
“We have also located space for a future playground. Cycling is significant for Niagara, so we’ve included a bicycle pavilion; a short jaunt to the Bruce Trail” and other existing cycle routes.
A 10,000 square foot Brock Niagara Centre for Health and Wellbeing will accommodate special needs athletes, stroke victims, and people with spinal cord injuries, among others, said Hill.
“They are currently located in an old school on Lockhart St., run primarily by teachers and students.”
An 8,000 square foot administrative space “targeted towards community groups” would be available for “provincial and national sports organizations, for job creation, and other offices.”
The Games Committee has partnered with the Canadian Sports Institute of Ontario, which is “a network of high-performance training programs across Canada for developing athletes on Olympic teams,” he explained; “supporting their development and attracting people to the community.”
“They are interested in opening a 6,000 square foot space for our athletes,” including canoers, kayakers, wrestlers, and others, “and they are interested in being here. Niagara is a hub for sports tourism. It has an opportunity to be a leader… to continue to be an economic hub and create job opportunities.”
The Canada Games Park, according to Hamilton, would be “owned and managed by a partnership group,” consisting of the city of Thorold, the city of St. Catharines, the Niagara Region, and Brock University.
“Most of the funding comes from the Ontario and federal governments. There has to be a local contribution for them to commit; additional contributions” from the four partners, he explained, adding that the facility would be “developed for the Games in August, 2021 and transferred to the partnership group in late 2021.”
All partners would benefit from the “much-needed, accessible, multi-use, multi-generational sport and recreational facilities,” he said, offering “something for everyone,” with free parking provided for participants.
“You’re not just dropping your kids off to play hockey. You have an opportunity to go around the running track,” or play pickleball, at the same time, he suggested.
Brock “has been working with Thorold with the ice time and the gyms” to ensure there are no conflicts in terms of usage, said Hamilton, “and it’s remarkably synergistic.”
Currently, “Lawyers are working on the details” of the partnership agreement.
Tenders closed this week for constructing the $2.5 million design, he said, answering questions from the audience regarding timelines. “We are now in discussion with one of the tender bidders. We would like construction to start in November. We have asked that it’s finished by the end of 2021.”
A young representative from Thorold’s multi-award-winning Elite track and field team said its 70 athletes are forced to travel to Guelph and Toronto on school nights to practice “three or four times a week,” since there are no facilities in Niagara. Having won three national medals and several other championships, the team is “asking for the city’s support,” he said. “That’s why this Canada Games is so important to us.”
Alleging that “These types of projects tend to go over budget,” Paul Longo asked, “who will pay for that?”
“The contracts that we’re awarding is why contractors are required to bid on plans in place,” replied Hamilton. “That reduces risk. We’re the 28th Canada Games. None have had a deficit yet.”
Longo asked for assurance “That there will be consultation with taxpayers before it proceeds.”
Thorold CAO Manoj Dilwaria assured him, “With guidance from city council, certainly, we will do that.”
Coun. Kenny said he’s been attending Canada Games meetings, and wanted to set the record straight.
“We made it clear from the beginning, Brock is not getting anything free,” he stated. “Everyone is paying equal amounts. Nobody—including St. Catharines, the Region, Thorold, or Brock—is getting anything for free. Anybody in that building will be paying equal value.”
After the meeting, Sentance told the Thorold News, "The meeting was very informative. I’ve seen his presentation before but that was beyond what we’ve seen before."
He said the track and field, volleyball and wrestling facilities included are impressive and argued they will help Thorold.
"Just look at the wrestling and volleyball facilities. They are great. There are many great wrestlers in Thorold. Marty Calder is a world-renowned wrestling coach who lives in Thorold. Right now, they train out of a little room at Brock so this will be great for them. The Thorold Community Activities Group will have access to volleyball and pickleball facilities," he added.
Noting that the Elite Track Club must travel extensively in order to train, he said, "This facility is going to help everybody and we’re going to get our fair share."
Sentance concluded, "I think it’s a great facility - great for the City of Thorold and now we’re just waiting for the operating costs."
VIDEO OF LAST NIGHT'S POWERPOINT PRESENTATION
