Local

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Athletic supercentre starts life

U of M complex has $46-M tag, will open in 2015

By: Tim Campbell

Posted: 10/12/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

An artist's drawing of the Active Living Centre's exterior after its opening in three years. (CIBINEL ARCHITECTS LTD. / BATTERIID ARCHITECTS LTD.)

Enlarge Image

From left, David Barnard, Israel Idonije, UMSU president Bilan Arte and David Asper use jackhammers to break ground for the Active Living Centre. (WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

Enlarge Image

An artist's conception of the Active Living Centre on the University of Manitoba campus. It will include a high-performance training section, a 200-metre running track, a 12-metre climbing wall and a gym. (CIBINEL ARCHITECTS LTD. / BATTERIID ARCHITECTS LTD.)

The University of Manitoba rolled out the heavyweights for Thursday's groundbreaking ceremony for the $46-million Active Living Centre.

Instead of shovels, officials and dignitaries manned jackhammers to officially start construction of the 100,000-square-foot eco-friendly project in the parking lot just south of the Frank Kennedy Centre.

Among them was one of the school's most famous alumni, Chicago Bears defensive end Israel Idonije, who spent time in his U of M days working out in the school's infamous "gritty grotto" on the lower level of the current recreation centre.

"The opportunities that came to me through the university here, through these facilities, changed my life. This centre will do the same, not just for athletes, but for members of the community," Idonije said Thursday.

The four-storey, open-concept, glass-exterior design will encompass a new high-performance training facility for elite athletes, a state-of-the-art indoor 200-metre running track, a 12-metre climbing wall, an Applied Research Centre, a workout, strength and conditioning facility and a gathering area for students.

Modern resources make a world of difference, Idonije said.

"It's no secret that the better the resources you have... that builds a better program because it builds better athletes," Idonije said.

"Same as the stadium... I've seen stadiums all over the world, and the access they're going to have when this is all done, it's going to take the university to another level. It makes me pretty excited for (football) coach (Brian) Dobie and the whole university."

The centre is funded by three levels of government, including $20 million from Ottawa, Minister of State (Transport) and Charleswood-St. James MP Steven Fletcher said Thursday. There is $5 million from the province through the Provincial-Territorial Base Fund and another $2.5 million from the City of Winnipeg that will come from its sale of the Polo Park stadium site.

"When we do projects like this, we all win," Manitoba Premier Greg Sellinger said.

It is expected the new centre, which will be connected to the university's tunnel system, will be completed in 2015.

Proud that the new Active Living Centre will be a hub for both the university and community, University of Manitoba president and vice-chancellor Dr. David Barnard said the project's genesis is in lockstep with the construction of the new Investors Group Field stadium across the street.

"It was part of the original idea of the university putting land into the stadium project that there would be some reciprocal benefit to the university, which was some contribution by various levels of government to the project here to rejuvenate our recreational facilities, which haven't been updated for a long time," he said.

Barnard said David Asper was due recognition for energizing the idea.

"In the very beginning, David Asper was involved and was very instrumental in pushing the entire agenda forward," Barnard said.

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition October 12, 2012 B1

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Local

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.