Town staff plans big things for new leisure centre

By Jay Gutteridge Simcoe.com Dec 09, 2010
The Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury leisure services department is busy working on the second step: developing activities that take full advantage of the new facilities.
The new leisure centre is scheduled to open early in 2012.
The leisure services department’s slogan for the centre is “Many ways to play” and Nick Warman, manager of recreation, said that’s exactly what it will offer.
The centre will feature two NHL-size arenas; an eight-lane, 25-metre competitive swimming pool; a heated relaxation and therapy pool; a recreational pool with a large, curving slide; a wet room where people using the pools can do another activity without getting changed out of their swim suits; a gymnasium that can be divided in two; a fitness centre with exercise equipment; a track for walking or running; a child-minding area that can offer preschool programming when not used for child minding; and several multi-purpose rooms of varying size.
As a result, a family can visit and each member can do something different. For example, one child could be dropped off for child minding, another could have hockey practice and another could have swimming lessons, all while one parent uses the fitness centre and the other visits the new library, located just steps away.
The town plans to move many of its current programs into the new leisure centre and introduce new ones, Mr. Warman said.
The town also hopes new clubs will form for activities such as swimming, basketball and volleyball, he said.
The leisure services department will likely issue requests for proposals to operate clubs in town and select the most viable options, Mr. Warman saiWhile the town can operate its own swimming, basketball and volleyball programs, he said, it would prefer to rent its facilities to clubs, similar to its relationship with the Bradford Soccer Club and Bradford West Gwillimbury Minor Hockey Association.
Ideally, the town will offer introductory programs, such as its current learn to play basketball program, then refer participants to a club if they enjoy the sport.
The clubs and local schools will be able to offer larger tournaments now because there will be more facilities available. For example, minor hockey will have two ice surfaces in one location and the high schools will have an extra gymnasium available for rent.
Mr. Warman said he hopes Holy Trinity High School’s swim team will now train in the local pool. Bradford District High School could now more easily offer such a team, he noted.
The leisure services department aims to introduce many new programs to take advantage of the fitness centre, Mr. Warman said.
Also, with a pool, a fitness centre and a track in one location, the town could offer a triathlon training program.
Leisure services plans to offer training for lifeguards, but since it can’t do that until the new leisure centre opens, it will have to hire people who trained out of town initially.
“Now’s the time for people to start thinking about getting their qualifications,” Mr. Warman said of people considering applying for lifeguard jobs at the new leisure centre.
The Vitality Bradford West Gwillimbury Leisure Centre Campaign is still seeking donations and sponsorships for the new facility. Naming rights for the facility and many rooms within it are still available.
Also, the Vitality group is now selling naming rights for individual seats in one of the two arenas for as low as $250. To get your name or your business’ name on a seat, contact Neil Rombough at 905-775-3832.
For more information on the Vitality campaign, visit bwgleisurecentre.org.