LOOKING AHEAD 2023: New King recreation centre construction to make big progress

Will be ‘showcase for municipal infrastructure projects’: King mayor

Yorkregion.com
Jan. 12, 2023
Laura Broadley

King’s Township-Wide Recreation Centre has politicians in other municipalities envious.

“We’re the envy of not only municipalities in Ontario but across Canada,” Mayor Steve Pellegrini said. “This is the showcase for municipal infrastructure projects.”

Pellegrini estimates the project as a whole costs over $100 million. The construction costs in total about $73 million, but that doesn’t include expenses such as land costs.

Seneca College leased the 25-acre piece of land at 15th Sideroad and Dufferin Street to King Township for 99 years for $1, but Pellegrini said a piece of land like that in King City would conservatively be worth $25 million.

Recreation centres usually have a 50- to 60-year lifespan, so 99 years is plenty of time, he added.

The money for construction came from the federal and provincial governments, developers and municipal reserves and development charges.

A six-lane, 25-metre lap pool; leisure pool; two NHL-sized ice pads; a multi-purpose athletic field house; and a multi-purpose community room will all be included in the rec centre when construction is completed in 2024.

“These are badly needed facilities for all of King Township and in particular King City, as that’s where most of our growth has occurred,” Pellegrini said.

Physical, economic, environmental and social benefits of recreation are well-documented, he said.

King’s commitment to reducing its environmental impact was key in the rec centre’s design. It is constructed to open as a carbon-neutral facility, and together with the closure of the existing arena facility, accounts for at least a 10 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions for the township.

Angelo Veri, president of Nobleking in King Township Minor Hockey, is already looking forward to having an extra ice pad for teams to practice on. The new rec centre will have two ice pads, but with the closure of the current facility, the township will lose an ice pad.

Coaches and players “never complain about too much ice,” he said, adding that the rec centre will allow players to participate closer to home.

King is a small community, but there are several user groups that compete for ice time.

“We’re always struggling to find ice time and provide a positive experience for our membership. Having an extra ice pad will definitely go a long way in helping,” said Randy Shepherd, president of the King Rebellion and Schomberg Redwings.

With a long winter that often forces people inside, Shepherd said it’s important children and youth have somewhere to go.

“Hockey is a great outlet. It’s a great opportunity to keep the kids playing sports all year round,” he added.

The township didn’t reach out directly to the hockey club, but it offered several opportunities for community members to provide suggestions and feedback during the design phase.

When the design for project was just getting started, Veri said he was under the impression only one ice pad was being considered.

“The community spoke up and said, ‘We need two ice pads,’ and they did it,” he said.

Though the cost of the rec centre is high, Veri thinks it’s worth it.

“To me, any time a township or a city invests in building a rec centre, the goal is really simple: it’s to bring the community together,” he said. “It ties the community together and it becomes that central hub.”