Video: St. Catharines mayor gives tour of Canada Games sports centre

With the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games slated to get started on August 6, St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik released a video giving interested residents and athletes a chance to look inside the $102.7 million Walker Sports Abilities Centre, the centerpiece of the games.

The impressive state-of-the-art sport facilities, called a legacy project because it will be used by the community for decades to come, was funded by individual contributions, the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario and the Canada Games Park Consortium partners: Niagara Region, City of Thorold, City of St. Catharines and Brock University.

When it held its grand opening on April 22, Sendzik said, “Canada Games Park and the Walker Sports Abilities Centre will not only serve as a world-class facility for the games, but will serve as a legacy our communities will be able to enjoy for generations to come.”

“It allows for increased access to recreational amenities for our residents, while also promoting our region as a destination for sport tourism. This facility, and the Canada Games Park Consortium, is a testament to what can be achieved when partners work together.”

The Walker Sports and Abilities Centre consists of a sport performance centre, a health and well-being centre, a twin-pad arena the same size as an NHL arena, a 200-metre indoor track, sport offices, and a multipurpose fieldhouse featuring a parasport gymnasium and a combative sport centre.

Canada Games Park also features six competition beach volleyball courts, a cycling and storage pavilion, and a 400-metre track-and-field facility on-site.

After the games end on August 21, ASM Global, an independent third-party operator, will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of Canada Games Park and the Walker Sports and Abilities Centre.

So here’s Mayor Sendzik giving the tour of the facility.