Project information

UVic's new CARSA facility, with the first phase scheduled for completion in spring 2015, will be a world-class venue.

It takes dedicated resources and facilities to foster athletic excellence and ensure a community has quality recreational opportunities and services for people at all levels of participation. CARSA is designed to inspire excellence in physical, intellectual and social activity.

With approx. 190,000 ft2 (equivalent to three football fields), the new centre will be located near the existing McKinnon Gym and adjacent to Gabriola Road, and will include a performance gym, multi-purpose field house, squash and racquetball courts and a climbing wall as well as a state-of-the-art fitness and weight-training areas.

It will also house offices, labs and a machine shop for UVic's CanAssist, which is unique to North America in being a university organization which develops and delivers customized technologies, programs and services that improve the quality of life of people living with disabilities.

Upon completion of the new centre, UVic’s School for Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education will benefit from a repurposing of the vacated space in the McKinnon building in order to bring the school's programs and faculty together under one roof. As well, students, faculty and researchers will benefit from primary access to the new state-of-the-art facilities within CARSA.

When future phases of the project are complete, CARSA will also feature a new aquatic facility with a 50m leisure pool.

It will also serve as an integral part of the proposed UVic High Performance Rugby Academy.