$40.5 M For Halifax Sports Facility

Peter MacKay, minister of National Defence and minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, on behalf of Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, Rodney MacDonald, premier of Nova Scotia, and Peter Kelly, mayor of the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), yesterday announced support for the construction of HRM’s $40.5 million Mainland Common Centre, a primary venue for the 2011 Canada Winter Games, which will be hosted by HRM.

The centre will include competitive and warm-up pools and a field house that includes hard-court gymnasium space and a 200-metre indoor track. A local community area will also allow for other sports activities and provide classroom space and meeting rooms. After the 2011 Canada Winter Games, the facility will serve to develop and train high-performance, competitive athletes.

“The Centre will be the heart of the Mainland Common, serving as a sports destination for HRM and the entire province as well as providing a venue for building a strong, closely linked community,” said Mayor Kelly.

The building will include a geothermal well system for earth source heat/cooling, energy saving lighting technologies, and the use of recycled and local materials, elements that will help its application for LEED Silver designation.

The federal government will provide up to $12 million through its Building Canada agreement with Nova Scotia. The province will invest another $12 million.