Toronto boasts a large number of stadiums, sports arenas, and concert halls. After all, the metropolis often hosts concerts, sports competitions, and interesting cultural events. Today, we will talk about the history of the creation and development of the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre. Read more about this on the torontoski.info website.
Property of the City and the University of Toronto
The Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre is a modern sports facility that was built in the 21st century. The facility was funded by the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, the City of Toronto, and the University of Toronto.
The initiative to build the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre actually came from University of Toronto students. In 2009, the students decided to raise funds for a new sports facility. The goal was to raise $30 million for the sports centre. Three years later, the city government had to allocate another $23 million for soil remediation on a former landfill site.
It is worth noting that the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre cost significantly more. Its total cost was 205 million Canadian dollars. Furthermore, this is one of the largest sums ever spent on amateur sport in Canada.
About the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre
In September 2014, the sports centre was opened. The facility was designed by the architectural firm NORR Limited and built by PCL Construction. During construction, contaminated soil was used to backfill parts of the structure. This approach reduced costs.
The sports complex includes an aquatics arena. However, temporary walls in the aquatics centre allowed the capacity to be changed from 8,500 (during the games) to 5,000 seats in its permanent configuration.
The Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre features two Olympic-sized swimming pools and a diving well. Additionally, there is a field house with 2,000 seats. This facility has four full-sized gymnasiums, a fitness centre, a climbing wall, and a 200-metre track. It is worth noting that during the 2015 Pan American Games, it hosted competitions in diving, fencing, swimming, synchronized swimming, and modern pentathlon.
After the Pan American Games, the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre was converted into a community sports facility. Overall, UTSC students gained access to two 50-metre pools, a 200-metre track, and 4 gymnasiums. The Canadian Sport Institute Ontario (CSIO) also located its athlete testing laboratories here. The sports complex also hosts fitness camps, climbing classes, and rehabilitation courses.
Major Events Held at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre
The sports centre has hosted sports competitions at various levels. As mentioned above, it hosted the 2015 Parapan American Games. In 2017, the North American Indigenous Games were held here. Competitions in basketball, volleyball, and athletics were held.
In addition to international competitions, the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre regularly hosts local matches in basketball, volleyball, badminton, swimming tournaments, and more.
It is worth noting that the centre offers fitness programs, group training sessions, children’s programs, and community and educational initiatives.
The Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre remains a key hub for national teams and, in general, a favourite destination for active family recreation. This modern centre is suitable for both professional athletes and beginners who are just getting introduced to sports.
That is the history of the creation and development of the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre. We hope this article was informative and that you learned more about your home city.
Have you visited this sports centre?