THUNDER BAY – Site preparation work is under way for the city’s $32.65-million indoor turf facility.
Excavators have started tearing down the baseball diamond that used to inhabit the space, located adjacent to the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium and the Canada Games Complex.
It’s been 10 years of hard work getting to this point, said Soccer Northwest president Michael Veneziale, who endured multiple stops and starts on the project as it worked its way through city council for approval, the cost and scope of the facility causing years of concern to successive councils.
It was finally approved late last year.
It’s a reality, Veneziale said on Thursday.
“This goes to show if you continue to work at it, and you do what’s best for the community, then it will happen,” Veneziale said.
“For me, emotionally, this is huge. The only regret I have in this, the only wish I have in this is we could have done this 10 years earlier. There’s a generation of players, of athletes, that came through, who were playing in garages because they didn’t have a place to play and they pushed through.”
That’s in the past, Veneziale said.
The future is what matters now.
“There is going to be the next generation that’s never going to know a Thunder Bay without having place to play,” he said.
Thunder Bay has been without a proper indoor turf facility for about a decade, when the former Sports Dome collapsed and was never rebuilt. The Thunder Bay Chill did convert an ice pad at the Tournament Centre into a temporary facility, but it was never meant to be permanent.
Chill owner and founder Tony Colistro said the new facility was a long time, coming, but it’s here, slated to open in late October 2026, barring construction delays.
“I think we’re going to reap the benefits of this, for sure,” Colistro said. “For all the organizations, just being able to run programs properly, knowing you have a secure and safe place to play, just means a lot. It’s great for the community and I’m just really happy to see it come to fruition.”
Thunder Bay Mayor Ken Boshcoff, one of several dignitaries on hand for Thursday’s ceremonial sod-turning, said it’s a big win for the city.
“Many thought this day would never come. I have to say to the soccer community, your prayer’s have been answered.”
The facility, once opened, will be a tremendous boost to Thunder Bay’s quality of life, he said, adding there’s plenty of optimism for what the future may bring.
“It’s just another component of the community spirit. This is a very significant day.”
Boshcoff acknowledged there remains plenty of concern in the community about the affordability of the project, and tried to put those concerns to rest.
“We can’t afford not to do this,” the mayor said. “Second, this is an investment in health, in the future, and also in economic development and attracting people here. This will pay off. You have to spend money sometime. You can’t just not do it and think you’re saving tax dollars. Wise spending of tax money produces dividends. This is going to be a windfall for everyone.”
Veneziale, whose group has pledged to raise an additional $500,000, to combine with half a million dollars already raised through the Community Economic Development Commission, said the centre provides plenty of opportunity for economic growth in Thunder Bay.
Not to mention, players will be able to train at a high-level facility, under similar conditions they may face at out-of-town events.
“We’ve never had a facility. Now we do. Now we can build. Now we can grow. We have some events and some plans we want to move forward. We want to reach for the stars.”
Project manager Kalvin Jankowski said foundation work is expected to begin in July.
