$15 million earmarked for Winter Games in N.S.
Ski Martock, Ski Wentworth among venues to get major upgrades
By DANIEL BONNER Sports Reporter
Mon. Feb 2 - 5:02 PM
With just over two years to go before the opening ceremonies in Halifax, the events of the 2011 Canada Winter Games received homes on Monday.
The organizing committee tabbed 11 venues for the Games and handed out $15 million for capital improvements during a press conference at the Mayflower Curling Club in Halifax.
“Selecting our sport venues is something that we have taken very seriously,” said J.P. Deveau, chairman of the 2011 board of directors. “We thought about where we could allocate our $15 million capital budget to have the most impact, to make sure our athletes can perform to the best of their abilities and to make sure we leave a lasting legacy for the community.”
Mainland Nova Scotia’s two ski hills will both be used for the competition, and together they received the lion’s share of the funding.
Ski Martock will be home to snowboarding, cross-country skiing and biathlon and took home the most money with $4,210,000. The funds will be used to improve snowmaking at the facility, improve downhill trails for snowboarding, improve the half-pipe and develop cross-country trails.
Andy MacLean, operations manager at Martock, said it all comes down to snowmaking.
“The upgrades to snowmaking are going to mean a more consistent season,” he said.
“The big thing for us is to make sure that we’re going to be able to have enough snow, because all of those three sports require snow, and to make sure that we’re going to be able to open those facilities early enough to provide training and competition over the course of the season.”
MacLean also said that the improvements will help make Martock a viable training option for high-level athletes.
“We have athletes right now that are travelling all over the world and North America that have to go west, at least to Quebec to compete and often times train,” he said. “It’s going to mean that we can provide training and venues for competition as well.”
Ski Wentworth will host the alpine and freestyle skiing. It received $3,188,000 to improve snowmaking, improve downhill trails and develop runs for freestyle skiing.
The previously announced Mainland Common Centre, set to be the centrepiece of the Games, will receive $1,000,000 of its total $40.5 million price tag from the organizing committee. It will be home to artistic gymnastics, badminton and synchronized swimming.
The St. Margaret’s Centre will host short-track speed skating and will receive $932,250 for a major upgrade. The facility will convert its 20-year-old SMC Arena to official Olympic size (200 feet long by 100 feet wide) and increase the seating capacity from its current 250 to around 1,000.
“We’re looking forward to a whole new dynamic to the St. Margaret’s Centre,” Mike Leroux, St. Margaret’s Centre General Manager, said.
“We hosted a provincial (championship) recently and we’re going to be hosting a possible Atlantic/national championship in 2010. I think there’s a lot of interest out in the area for short-course speed skating and I could foresee a club being organized out there.”
Long-track speed skating will be housed in a temporary, non-refrigerated oval on the Halifax Commons. The project will cost $696,000 and will be dismantled after the competition.
Dartmouth Sportsplex ($455,000) and Cole Harbour Place ($336,000), home to hockey and ringette, respectively, received funding for general upgrades including new boards and glass and dressingroom improvements.
The venerable Halifax Forum will host boxing and will use $892,400 for room, office and electrical upgrades.
Saint Mary’s University will play host to squash and judo and receive $215,000 for upgrades to its existing squash courts.
Curling will take place at Mayflower, and the club will receive $86,000 for upgrades to the ice plant and the ice shed room.
Halifax Metro Centre will host the opening and closing ceremonies and co-host hockey. The facility was not awarded money.
Organizers are still in negotiations for the final two venues for the two-week event. One will hold table tennis and wheelchair basketball, while the other will host archery and shooting. The committee has earmarked $25,000 for each of the remaining venues.
The 2011 Canada Winter Games will be held Feb. 11-27, 2011.
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