Major leap forward for water sports centre

Plans to build the Northern Water Sports Centre took a major leap forward Tuesday, as city council approved a lease agreement with the people behind the $4.6 million centre that will see the city pay a share of annual operating costs.

Organizers hope to start construction of the two-building facility in June. Board chair Thomas Merritt and project manager Sheila Mendes gave city councillors an update on the project.

Merritt said they have focused heavily on sustainability, and have come up with a plan where they would pay 65 per cent of the budget, and the city 35 per cent. They’ve raised $4.2 million of the total cost so far, and are prepared to begin construction using the money they have.

Merritt stressed the accessibility to the public the centre will offer, saying their aim is to have the facility used as much as possible by the public.

“We’re not just a boathouse for private clubs,” he said.

Mendes says since 2011, they have scaled plans back to “a more realistic level” from the earlier $7M estimate. They’re now looking at constructing two smaller wood buildings, at a much lower cost than the original design, which included plans for one, much larger structure.

She also stressed the community aspect of the development, saying the facility will include “many spaces the public will have access to.” Operating costs for the first year at estimated at $29,000 for six months, or $42,000 for a full year. They may only be able to operate for six months at first, but the goal is to be open year-round.

The centre would be built in Bell Park, near Science North and, eventually, operate during all four seasons as a training centre and “host for national and international sanctioned events.” The city will own the facility once it’s complete and lease it to the centre.

Currently, the Sudbury Rowing Club, the Sudbury Canoe Club and the Sudbury Dragon Boat Festival share space in a city-owned building on the northwest shore off of McNaughton Terrace.

Each club has a strong history of operating responsibly and within their means, Merritt said. They have worked with city staff to come up with a realistic and sustainable operating budget.

The board running the centre “is committed to continuing operating responsibly, to ensure its long term viability and sustainability, and to protect the public and private investment in the project,” he said.

City councillors and Mayor Marianne Matichuk all praised the centre and its organizers. Ward 1 Coun. Joe Cimino said it’s a real community project, especially since schools and universities can use it, as well as the three established groups.

Ward 12 Coun. Joscelyne Landry-Altmann said the centre will help remove the “elitism” label people often associate with rowing and canoeing.
For her part, Ward 10 Coun. Frances Caldarelli said it’s “a beautiful project.

“And Sheila has told me I’m not too old to learn to kayak,” Caldarelli quipped.