Credit: James Anthony
The West End Community Centre had its grand opening Thursday afternoon. Mr. Joe Fratizi emceed the event while Mayor Debbie Amaroso, MP Bryan Hayes, MPP David Orazetti, Joe Krmpotich and Nelsons Soares all spoke at the event. Each speaker highlighted what this Community Centre means to the west end and the Soo in general.
The community centre holds two 100’ x 200’ indoor turf fields that is made up of the same material that is used in professional NFL and soccer games. The fields also has 3 rows of bleachers for each playing area, there are also 4 change rooms that also include showers and washrooms.
Credit: James Anthony
The Community Centre also includes a 6000 sq. ft. fully accessible, Wi-Fi enabled library, which will replace the 2nd Line Korah Branch of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library. The library includes many new services as well; Self-pick Up Holds, Self Reservation of Internet workshops, Smart Technologies and Accessible Workstations, as well as over 1,000 new items added to the collection. The library also includes a 75 seat Essar Community Room for public and library use.
Credit: James Anthony
The Community Centre is absolutely amazing and will provide great utility for our local soccer teams and soccer players. There are also plans in the future to add another full size field as well as having wood flooring to put over it, making it available to host trade shows as well as other events.
Press Release
ORAZIETTI ANNOUNCES OFFICIAL OPENING OF WEST END COMMUNITY CENTRE
Provincial Investment of $6.2 Million in Recreation Centre Supports Youth and Boosts Local Tourism
Sault Ste. Marie — David Orazietti, MPP for Sault Ste. Marie was joined today by community officials and residents at the grand opening of the new, state-of-the-art West End Community Centre. The province provided $6.2 million from the Ministry of Infrastructure’s Investing in Ontario program and the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) to support the construction of the $11.3 million centre.
“The province contributed over 50 percent of the funding necessary to build this new community centre in the West end of Sault Ste. Marie because we are committed to improving infrastructure and services in our city,” said Orazietti. “Our support for this new, state-of-the-art recreational facility created short and long-term jobs and it is providing important benefits that will improve the quality of life for a broad range of residents as well as boost tourism and the local economy.”
Funding for the $11.3 million West End Community Centre project is made up of support from:
· Provincial Government: $6.2 million (55%) ($4.7 million Ministry of Infrastructure and $1.5 million NOHFC)
· City of Sault Ste. Marie: $5.1 million (45%)
The West End Community Centre’s Indoor Turf Facility is the first of its kind in Sault Ste. Marie and it will allow for the city to host international, national, provincial and regional indoor turf field events. The Community Centre is expected to generate an estimated $15 million in economic benefits to the community. In addition to two turf fields, change rooms and a concession, the community centre also includes a new 6000 square foot library that replaces the former Korah Branch. The new library is fully accessible, Wi-Fi enabled and it will offer more programs for children, teens, adults and seniors.
Sault Ste. Marie has also benefited from many other provincial infrastructure investments including:
$408 million New Sault Area Hospital
$130 million 5 New School Projects
$40 million New Long-Term Care Home
$25 million Municipal Road Improvements
$16.5 million Huron Central Rail line
$15 million Invasive Species Research Centre (construction and operating costs)
$10.3 million Algoma University - Biosciences Centre
$9.5 million Sault College - Academic Building
$7.8 million Donald Doucet Youth Centre
$7.3 million New Algoma Public Health Building
$6.4 million Social housing
$6.2 million West End Community Centre
$5.6 million New OPP Forensic Building
$5.0 million Agawa Canyon Tour Train
$4.7 million Essar Centre
$4.2 million Conservation Authority Infrastructure
$4.0 million Sault College - Health and Wellness Centre
$3.5 million Third Line Extension
$3.1 million Hub Trail & Waterfront Walkway Expansion
$2.5 million Heliene Canada Inc. - Solar Module Manufacturing Plant
$2.2 million City - Emergency Response Centre (EMS)
$2.1 million Flakeboard Ltd. Expansion
$2.0 million Ellsin Environmental Ltd. - Tire Recycling Plant
$2.0 million Sault College – IT infrastructure, Multi-Media Centre, Wind Energy Training Centre
