Winnipeg, MB - The Standing Policy Committee on Protection and Community Services will consider a recommendation by the Public Service that the Sport for Life Centre Fieldhouse be approved as the Principle Capital Legacy Project for the 2017 Canada Summer Games. The City’s portion for the Sport for Life Centre Fieldhouse will be $1 million, which will come from the City’s $3 million capital contribution to the Games approved in the 2014-2015 Budget.
Winnipeg was awarded the 2017 Canada Summer Games in the spring of 2013, and as part of the bid to host, a capital legacy project is required to be identified for the upcoming games.
“Winnipeg is known as an accessible place for families to enjoy professional or recreational sports,” said Councillor Brian Mayes (St. Vital), Chair, Standing Policy Committee on Protection and Community Services. “In hosting the 2017 Canada Summer Games, we intend to make many lasting memories. It also gives us another wonderful opportunity to showcase Winnipeg to the rest of Canada.”
The building of the Sport for Life Centre Fieldhouse is part of the Sport Manitoba Sport for Life Centre expansion project and will be a venue that will host a variety of sports during the Canada Summer Games. The project will include an 80,000 square foot field house featuring an indoor running surface, sprint track, multi-sport space, strength and conditioning areas, aerobic training, multi-use court space and plyometric training and testing.
Located in downtown Winnipeg at 145 Pacific Avenue, the Sport for Life Centre is home to 60+ sport and community organizations, which collectively serve over 190,000 athletes, 100,000 program participants and approximately 25,000 volunteers, coaches and officials from across the province.
The report also recommends an in-kind contribution of City services for the 2017 Canada Games to a maximum of $1,294,500, with $600,000 of that amount coming from the Special Event Tourism Fund, which was established by (City Council) to fund events such as this.
The Canada Summer Games is the largest sporting event of its kind in Canada, with approximately 5,000 athletes expected to compete in 17 sports over a two-week period in the summer of 2017. The Games are projected to attract over 30,000 families and visitors, with an economic impact of over $160 million.