Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

New Bronx Park facility nearly done

CONSTRUCTION crews are putting the finishing touches on the $6.5-million renovation of Bronx Park Community Centre, one of the largest recreation upgrades in Winnipeg.

In 2005, the city redirected $43 million in former rapid-transit funding toward community-centre infrastructure improvements. The General Council of Winnipeg Community Centres then decided to upgrade Bronx Park, move other east Winnipeg programs into the centre and turn the former Kelvin Community Centre into a satellite facility.

When it opens later this month, the new Bronx Park Community Centre in East Kildonan will also be the home of the Good Neighbours Wellness Centre and host East End Arts & Cultural Centre programs.

The renovated facility has a full-sized gym and new meeting rooms, a woodworking shop, a creative arts room and a computer lab. The exterior of the centre has a new activity court, non-regulation soccer field, replacement hockey rinks and a playground, as well as a 72-stall parking lot.

Some athletic programming will still take place at the former Kelvin site, whose main building was demolished following the formal closing of the community centre in 2007. Elmwood-East Kildonan Coun. Lillian Thomas, former Elmwood MLA Jim Maloway and dozens of community residents opposed the Kelvin closure, which was the end result of an exhaustive GCWCC review of 71 Winnipeg community centres.

The city gave the volunteer-run GCWCC the task of making decisions about community centre openings, closings and expansions to prevent civic and provincial politicians from interfering with the process.

-- Staff

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 1, 2009 B1

History

Updated on Tuesday, June 2, 2009 at 4:45 PM CDT:
Corrected location of community centre to East Kildonan.

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