8 Sports and Clubs November 23, 2005 + Over the Edge Sport Centre to be Completed by 2007 UNBC The Northern Sport Centre will boast numerous training facilities for athletes, including an indoor track, multi-use field, and gymnasium according to this concept design from December 2004. MICHIKO STAFF WRITER ; The Northern Sport Centre, a legacy project for the 2010 Winter Olympics held in Vancouver, will mean a great deal for the development of UNBC. This long-term project will provide a training centre, with space for various athlete services, such as physiotherapy and strength training, an indoor field for team workouts and student intra- murals, an indoor track for year-round running and endurance training, and a gymnasium that can sit twenty-five hundred spectators. In time, it might even include indoor and outdoor ice rinks. Already in the works, it is hoped to be completed by 2007. This brings about a major concern: does this sound too good to be true? The total cost of the Sport Centre has been estimated at upwards of 30 million — but, luckily, the province of BC has agreed to give 20.5 million, provided that both the City of Prince George, and the university itself, com- mit 5 million each to the project. This is certainly less than 30 million, but this may leave students asking, “Where will UNBC find the 5 million dollars it needs?” Dont worry, the answer isnt by raising tuition: the university hopes to gain funds through private donations and, if those efforts fail to reach the quota, from the university reserve fund, The only thing students would have to pay for would be the recreation fee - a relatively small amount. If that small recreation fee is the only downside to this endeavor, then what is the upside? For one thing, this sport centre will be Olympic-class and will draw elite athletes worldwide to train in winter sports, particularly Nordic skiing. It will provide the stu- dent population with a bigger arena in which to play, train, and maintain a healthy lifestyle year-round. The centre will employ highly-skilled coaches and physiotherapists. It will provide educa- tional opportunities for human kinetics students of CNC and for the medical research teams here at UNBC. Lastly, it will mean the further development of Prince George itself, while raising the profile of the university and increasing the student population. The Northern Sport Centre, which will be located at the south end of the campus, just off University Way, will provide athletes a chance to gain an edu- cation and get the training they need. ‘The presence of both a university and a college means all kinds of educational opportunities will be available, and the early winter climate we enjoy means they would have an extended training period. The increase in athlete's pres- ence here would serve as inspiration to varsity and intramural athletes — and even the student population — to excel in athletics. In time, there would also exist an Athlete's Village, where they would be able to meet specific needs, dietary and otherwise, to keep up their performance. It's hopeful that the Sport Centre will not only encourage athletes from abroad to come and train, but also that it will give Canadian and, specif- ically, British Columbian Olympic athletes the option to stay at home. If the centre is completed by the target date of 2007, Olympic athletes could come here to train for the 2010 Winter Olympics in biathlon and winter ski- ing, making UNBC an integral part of the Olympic event. The current educational opportun- ities are many and varied. They range from public and private elementary and secondary schools, a college, and a university complete with a new med- ical program. The student-athletes will have at their disposal the ability to pur- sue high school diplomas, trades certifi- cations, professional degrees, or even a PhD. With opportunities such as these, UNBC and the Northern Sport Centre will look very attractive to international and national student-athletes. Of similar importance is the recog- nized need by students and faculty for a better recreational facility. The lack of one is said to be the biggest reason for students to leave UNBC, or for them to disregard it as an option. UNBC’s President, Dr. Charles Jago, recog- nizes and hopes to rectify this prob- lem: “It is of very great significance to this institution to have an appropriate athletic facility, We are working very hard to achieve that. If students come to UNBC, we want them to have the range of facilities that they would ex- pect of a university, and the absence of a major gymnasium and facility is a huge - handicap to this institution now and has been from the beginning. It repre- sents a disincentive for some students to come to this university because they cant participate in sports, whether it's intramural or just recreational. They don't have the option to participate as fully as they could in other universities. It is an impediment that we should re- move, and, in the long run, will ensure the continuing health and development of this university. The increased health and wellness of the student population is one of the primary goals of the Northern Sport Centre's construction. With coaches, physiotherapists, and other skilled pro- fessionals to work with athletes, a high- er degree of excellence can be achieved. It is hopeful that having this centre will be an incentive for students to both come and stay here to study. It is esti- mated that the Sport Centre will draw in over 100 students, which would have a total local direct economic impact of a potential $2 million. It will also raise the profile of the university internation- ally, draw more attention, and, possibly, even more funding for various projects. The actual building of the Northern Sport Centre will serve several pur- poses other than providing an area to train. It will also give a gymnasium to seat 2500 spectators — something that anyone who has ever gone to a basket- ball game and been crammed together will appreciate. This will meet require- ments for UNBC’s possible entry into Canadian Inter-University Sport com- petition, bringing our sports teams to a higher level of competition, where they can excel, The building itself — specif- ically the Training Centre — will show- case the use of wood and other natural materials that are the signature of new notthern construction. This can only contribute to the promotion of such materials, improving economy, and providing the jumping off point from which to base further develop of in- novative uses for northern wood prod- ucts. Other legacy projects or Olympic venues may even follow this example. The human kinetics program at CNC has been desperate to observe, hands on, various athletes. Other af- filiated health professions, such as nursing, community health, psychol- ogy, disability management, and social work, would also benefit from working with the Sports Centre. Students in these fields would gain practical experi- ence necessary to attain their degree and obtain jobs afterwards, In addition, observation of athletes would assist in UNBC’s medical research, providing subjects for study. What will this mean for Prince George as a city? Well, having inter- national Olympic-class athletes train- ing here would mean a raised public profile. Prince George is already known as the northern capital of BC. It is an international Winter City, sharing experiences and culture with other northern communities mirroring UN- BC's own strong formal exchanges with universities in the Circumpolar region. It has a myriad of services to offer, vary- ing from education, transportation, and government. It is ripe to develop further, and, indeed, that is what this centre is hoping to catalyze: further de- velopment. Plans to update the airport, including a upgrade of security services, doubling of the passenger holding area, and a gaining the ability to accommo- date international flights, have recently been completed - all these a must for athletes who must compete worldwide. Prince George has already hosted various sporting events, such as the Scott Tournament of Hearts, and, with “[Prince George] is an international Winter City, sharing experi- ences and culture with other northern com- munities mirroring UNBC’s own strong formal exchanges with universities in the Cir- cumpolar region.’ the construction of the Sports Centre, may be able to host even more, bringing in news coverage and national attention. Its acquisition of snow-making equip- ment, just in case there isnt enough snow to train on at certain points in winter, also increases Prince George's viability as a movie set. It could very well draw many productions. The construction of the Northern Sport Centre offers many exciting op- portunities. It will provide the student body with a place to exercise and play sports. It will draw elite athletes world- wide, help retain homegrown talent, provide medical programs a way to gain applied research, will raise the national and international profile of the Univer- sity itself; drawing more of a student population, and will raise the profile of Prince George itself and aid in its development. It will be a source of tre- mendous opportunity in many venues. VINCENT CHAN “Tt is estimated that the Sport Centre will draw in over 100 students, which would have a total local direct economic impact of a potential $2 million.’