Local group wants to return Kitchener's Centennial Stadium to its former glory with new facility
'We've got to think about spaces where people play, live and and work,' local advocate says
Before it was demolished in 2012, Centennial Stadium in Kitchener played host to many local and provincial events.
In its hey day, it was a hub of activity from events like the Central Ontario Exhibition, outdoor concerts, soccer matches, marching band competitions, fireworks displays, track and field meets that brought athletes to the city from all over Ontario and it was even used as a backdrop in a General Motors commercial featuring golfer Tiger Woods.
The grass turf is now used for football and soccer games but the stands have been town down. The track is not usable.
"There's grass growing and cracks on the track," says Peter Baxter chair of the Kitchener-Waterloo Sports Council's facilities committee.
Baxter says the space beside Kitchener's Memorial Auditorium is a shell of its former self and that's why the sports council has launched a petition to build a new recreational facility on that spot.
"With us growing to over a million people in Waterloo region, we've got to think about spaces where people play, live and and work," he said, adding a space like Centennial Stadium, "It builds community."
The petition is calling for a new facility that could be used year-round.
"I see it as an outdoor stadium that can house anywhere from 4,000 to 8,000 people depending on the cost. With a 400 metre track and a surface area where field sports from lacrosse, rugby,and field hockey, as well as community events," Baxter told CBC K-W's The Morning Edition with host Craig Norris.
"An indoor facility which would have training facilities like a 200 meter track. But in the interior for multi-purpose, you can fit about four basketball courts or artificial turf."
The Kitchener-Waterloo Sports Council launched a petition on Change.org which has garnered more than 1,500 signatures. Baxter says they are also looking to speak with area politicians about the need to build a new facility on the spot as the region grows.
At capacity or beyond
Allistir Scorgie, the director of sport hosting at Explore Waterloo Region, said he thinks the region could use another sporting venue.
Scorgie says subjectively the region doesn't have enough locations and the ones currently operating are at or beyond capacity.
"Waterloo region has had a tremendous amount of growth in the past 20 to 30 years and we're still using a lot of the same sports infrastructure from that time period," Scorgie said.
"A lot of our facilities are at their maximum capacity and we're starting to feel the pinch," he said. "There's definitely a need for new infrastructure moving forward."
WATCH | Local sports council petitions to bring back stadium in Kitchener:
Scorgie points out that locations like RIM Park, a once state-of-the-art facility, is turning 24 years old this June.
He adds that while its important to host major events at regional facilities, the primary focus should be to support the recreation needs of residents.
Trends in sports facilities
Jacqueline Novak Nayyar knows the facility challenges municipalities are facing.
She's the founder and managing director of TOA Consulting based in B.C. and is a senior consultant for Sport Tourism Canada.
She's also worked with organizations and municipalities, including Waterloo region, to help them with things like feasibility studies to host events, looking at how and where to build new facilities and sport tourism strategies.
LISTEN | Does Waterloo region need another sports venue?:
Novak Nayyar says there's a trend in municipalities across Canada to move toward building multi-use facilities.
"It's no longer about sport and recreation, but also looking at cultural and community gatherings, looking at health and wellness and how that is playing. In looking at accessibility and inclusivity," Novak Nayyar said.
She said municipalities are seeing their populations grow and demographics change, and some "are really struggling to keep up with shifting the specifications or the requirements of the facility and the demands of the population."
That includes making sure the facilities are accessible.
"We're looking at mobile mobility, cognitive and sensory disabilities and just the accommodations and requirements that all individuals of all abilities require in the community," she said.
LISTEN | Local petition calls for multi-sport stadium at former site of Centennial Stadium:
"Each community has a different focus," Novak Nayyar said.
"There's a real importance for public consultation and understanding what the various user groups are that may have both an interest in using the facility, but also what that revenue model is going to be," she added.
It's also important to understand the "business partners and philanthropy partners in the community that are willing to support such a bill to create a legacy and improve quality of life for local citizens."
'Focus is on the next generation'
That's part of Baxter's goal, too, to get people out into the community to exercise, play and compete against each other.
"I really encourage physical activity because physical activity, your body's a pharmacy and, and it's better than drugs," he said.
He said he hopes the petition shows local officials there's appetite in the community for more opportunities to get active and support local sports and recreation groups across the entire region.
"This is a regional facility," he said, adding the entire community benefits when big events come to the region because visitors stay in hotels, eat at restaurants and visit local shops.
"Economic impact is a big part, but the main thing our focus is on the next generation of young people and older people and families that live in Waterloo region," he said.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
