Organized soccer in Thunder Bay has found a new, if temporary, location for indoor play following the collapse of the Sports Dome nearly a year ago.
Michael Veneziale, the president of the Thunder Bay Men's Soccer League, says a warehouse on Maureen Street, across the Central Avenue railway overpass, is being converted for use in the upcoming winter season.
"We've been looking on and off across the city, and there really wasn't much available. We just happened to come across this warehouse that kind of had nothing in it, and we were able to fit two fields in there, to retrofit it a little bit to add bathrooms, change rooms, water fountain. The turf is already on its way in."
Veneziale said the facility will be used by the men's league as well as by the Thunder Bay Chill and the local women's soccer league.
The cost of the turf alone is between $50,000 and $75,000. A spokesperson for the Chill estimates the total outlay by the three organizations will be $100,000.
"All three groups are going to be pitching in. We're hoping to have it paid off over a few years, to keep the costs low. We're going to be playing on a better surface and at a lower cost, which is great," Veneziale said.
After the Sports Dome caved in during a winter storm, the lack of facilities and playing time for Thunder Bay indoor soccer became a bigger problem.
Lakehead University offered the use of the Hangar, "and was great working with us," Veneziale said, but availability of playing time remained an issue.
He said the warehouse location will be an improvement but still will serve only as a bridge to a new soccer facility that organizers hope will eventually be built in Thunder Bay.
"You kind of see that when it's run by the soccer community, the people that know and play it all the time. It's gonna be a lot smoother than in the past. We're not going to have to shut down for certain events."
Veneziale hopes the new facility will be in use by the end of October or early November.
He said that although an agreement in place, the city still needs "to be on board and to sign off on it" with final permits and occupancy dates.
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