Since the official groundbreaking on Dec. 5, 2024, construction of North Bay’s new Recreation and Community Centre at the Steve Omischl Sports Field Complex is progressing toward completion. Site work and foundation are now complete, the building structure is fully erected, and interior and exterior work is currently underway as the project moves into its final phase.
Once complete, the modern, accessible centre will include two ice pads, a walking track, a large community room, and 14 dressing rooms to support year-round indoor and outdoor recreation. It is being designed to meet Version 3 of the Canada Green Building Council’s Zero Carbon Building Design Standard, positioning it as one of the first net-zero carbon recreational facilities in the country.
The $63 million facility is supported with more than $35 million in federal funding, including $25.7 million from the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program and $9.4 million through the City’s Canada Community-Building Fund allocation, along with $1.5 million from casino revenue-sharing contributions.
Led by EllisDon Corporation using a progressive design-build model, the project remains on track for completion in August 2026.
- The project has a total budget of $63 million, which includes a guaranteed maximum price of $61.4 million, a contingency of $1.1 million, and $500,000 in internal costs.
- The municipal taxpayer-funded share of the project is $24.8 million, after excluding federal contributions, OLG game revenues, and Municipal Accommodation Tax revenues.
- The complex will feature over 400 parking spots, including accessible spaces.
- The Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program was created in support of Canada’s Strengthened Climate Plan: A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy. It is supporting the Plan’s first pillar by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing energy efficiency, and helping develop higher resilience to climate change.
- The Canada Community-Building Fund is a permanent source of funding provided twice-a-year to provinces and territories, who in turn deliver this funding to local governments for local infrastructure priorities. The Canada Community-Building Fund has 19 project eligibility categories, including capacity building, sport infrastructure, and broadband connectivity. In Ontario, the Canada Community-Building Fund is administered by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO).
- The Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) is a 4% fee applied to short-term accommodations of less than 30 consecutive days. This includes stays at hotels, motels, lodges, inns, bed-and-breakfasts, dwelling units, or other lodging establishments. Sixty percent of the MAT revenue funds Tourism North Bay, supporting the local tourism industry, while the remaining 40% is used by the City to invest in tourism-related infrastructure.
Why is this project happening?
The North Bay Community and Recreation Centre will replace the aging West Ferris Arena, ensuring that the City continues to provide the community with recreational services and opportunities within an improved and modernized facility. The new facility will add an ice pad to the City's existing inventory, helping to better meet demand as demonstrated through public consultation and the findings of a Multi-use Recreational Facility (MURF) Feasibility Study, which was updated in 2019 (MURF).
Key Features
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Watch It Take Shape: Community Centre Time-Lapse
This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada
Contact
David Jackowski, P.Eng., FEC.
Project Manager, Special Projects Operations and Infrastructure