Ottawa has given a thumbs down to funding for a proposed Multi-Use Indoor Sports Facility for Thunder Bay.
An application was submitted in July 2021 to Infrastructure Canada’s Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) program.
City staff received the news on Monday that funding had been turned down.
“The GICB funding was in high demand, receiving considerable interest from communities and organizations across Canada, with hundreds of projects requesting billions in funding,” said City Manager Norm Gale. “Under the leadership of City Council, City Administration has worked hard on developing this project for years now, and I appreciate their commitment.”
City staff will make recommendations in a report, outlining the next steps in accordance with decisions already made by Council.
On July 22, 2019, Council approved, in principle, a multi-use indoor facility at Chapples Park, which included pre-construction site engineering and applications for funding.
Funding from the city was originally pegged at between $30 million to $40 million, but that ballooned to $46 million dollars, including $8.8 million in interest payments on a $16.6 million dollar debenture.
Breaking Down the Funds
- Approximately $8.8 million in interest payments on a $16.6 million dollar debenture
- Just over $15 million from a dedicated reserve fund
- $1.6 million in MAT tax revenues
- $3.3 million from the Renew Thunder Bay Reserve Fund
- $300,000 from FedNor
The search for a new facility began after the collapse of the Sportsdome on the CLE Grounds during a November 2016 snowstorm.
It impacted the soccer community and forced both the men’s and women’s clubs to cancel their seasons because they had no place to play.
