New athletic facility to be ready for 2015 Games
A state-of-the-art athletic centre will be constructed UTSC in time for the 2015 Pan Am Games. Efforts are well underway at Morningside Avenue and Military Trail. Three construction companies were pre-qualified to help design and build the facility at the beginning of June. Soil is undergoing remediation until December, but major work on the facility’s infrastructure is on track to start before the end of the year.
The athletic centre is expected to be completed between May and June 2014 according to Bob O’Doherty, Senior Vice President of Sport and Venue at the Games.
The construction of the centre is estimated to cost $170 million, and according to O’Doherty, the Federal and Provincial governments, City of Toronto, and U of T will all play a role in funding it.
“Its not too often that a university has the opportunity to get involved in a project like this,” O’Doherty said.
The state-of-the-art facility will is set to include the Pan American Aquatics Centre (PAAC), the Field House, and the Canadian Sports Institute Ontario (CSIO) Project. According to O’Doherty, the Aquatics Centre will be a “world class facility,” consisting of “two 50m pools and a five-metre-deep diving tank” will host aquatic events such as swimming, synchronized swimming and diving.
The Field House is a gym facility. According to O’Doherty, it will be equivalent in size to four baske tball courts and have a recreational track for running. During the Games, the Field House will host fencing competitions.
The Canadian Sports Institute Ontario (CSIO) will serve as a national high performance centre after the games close, providing “things like sports science, sports medicine, coaching, training and a testing facility [for] high-performance athletes in Ontario.”
Heidi Calder, the Co-Director of Athletics and Recreation for UTSC, believes that this new facility will help expand the sporting life of U of T. “Programming-wise, we will more than quadruple the amount of opportunities for fitness and athletics our students have,” Calder said, noting the facility could have other potential benefits in academic life such as masters programs in sports and sports management.
Calder also acknowledged that with this new facility, varsity sports and varsity programming “can be decentralized.”
Varsity swimmers, for instance, could train out in Scarborough instead of being confined to the St. George campus.
Pagalavan Thavar will be beneficial to students, faculty and the broader Scarborough community but shares public concern about the accessibility of the centre.
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has, however, acknowledged the issue, stating in numerous reports that his public transportation plans will be realized in time to accommodate the Games. Ultimately, the athletics centre will hopefully not only be a world class venue for the 2015 Pan Am Games, but a legacy that will affect generations to come at UTSC and the Scarborough community
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