Major athletics and rec upgrade planned

The University of Victoria’s Board of Governors has approved preliminary planning and a funding feasibility study for renovations to the McKinnon Building and the construction of an adjacent new complex. This would dramatically improve access to athletics, recreation and health and wellness programs on campus. The project would also help the university retain and attract students, faculty and staff as well as top athletes.

“This is an exciting opportunity for UVic,” says Clint Hamilton, the director of UVic’s Department of Athletics and Recreation. “The improved capacity and quality that can be realized through this project will enhance the academic, research, athletic and recreational experiences for users both on and off campus. It will reduce recreation waitlists, improve the quality and variety of recreation programs, enhance research facilities, provide state-of-the-art high-performance training and competition facilities for varsity athletes and increase our ability to address community needs.”

Tannis Peterson, an undergraduate student in education, participant in UVic recreation programs and the student manager of intramurals for athletics and recreation, agrees: “The lack of space in the current facility is a concern because education, recreation and athletics overlap so much. So there is only a limited amount of time for each activity to take place. With more space comes more time. As someone who schedules and participates in the intramural leagues, more time means the games can start earlier—no more finishing games at midnight when there are no buses.”

The move comes about as a result of a comprehensive facility assessment study of on-campus athletic, recreation, physical education and related research and educational facilities. The process engaged and consulted university users and the many charity, sport and school organizations that currently use the university facilities, along with the neighbouring communities. The results show the current facilities are no longer able to meet the users’ increasing range of needs.

The new project would house the Department of Athletics and Recreation (ATRS), the School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education (EPHE) and CanAssist, UVic’s leading-edge disabilities support program. EPHE would stay in the McKinnon Building, which will be renovated to address the research and teaching laboratory and office needs of the school. A new building would house ATRS and CanAssist.

“At CanAssist we spend a lot of time testing our products and getting feedback from people with disabilities,” says Leo Spalteholz, a graduate student in computer engineering doing academic research at CanAssist. “But the overcrowded labs don’t allow enough space and are too busy for our clients to test our inventions without being distracted. I think it would be fantastic to have one easily accessible centralized lab so our clients don’t have to go through the difficult and often strenuous task of travelling to Can Assist’s three temporary labs that are spread across campus.”

The university is currently developing a program of requirements and a schematic design and conducting a funding feasibility study for the first phase of the project, valued at $58.7 million. The facility is expected to be funded through a combination of UVic, government, and philanthropic sources as well as student fees.

This spring the board of governors will make a decision about whether the construction phase of the project will proceed.

Further info: http://communications.uvic.ca/media/recproject.php