New indoor sports facility could be coming to Brantford

A rendering shows what a proposed indoor sports facility proposed for Jaycee Sports Park in Brantford, Ont. could look like. (Courtesy: City of Brantford)

A proposed indoor sports facility in Brantford has full support from the city’s Committee of the Whole.

During a meeting on June 16, councillors unanimously voted in favour of a new 60,000-square-foot indoor turf facility at Jaycee Sports Park on Dunsdon Street.

The field would be surrounded by an air-supported dome to enable year-round access and include three artificial turf fields, change rooms and a concession area. If everything goes forward as planned, the facility would open in fall 2027. It is expected to cost $10,050,000 which would be paid from the 2025 Capital Funding Envelope Reserve surplus, but city staff also plan to seek out grant opportunities to help offset the hefty price tag.

Local sports organizations welcomed the news.

“The new indoor turf sports facility will allow Brantford City Soccer to reintroduce indoor soccer programming for 700 additional participants and will make a world of difference to the young athletes across our community who dream of being professional athletes,” said Rob Coleman, president of the Brantford City Soccer Club, in a news release. “We thank the City of Brantford for its commitment to investing in recreation, sport and active living, and for supporting the future of soccer in our community.”

The proposal also had the backing of the Community Sports Councils of Ontario, a group dedicated to promoting sports participation across the province.

“Brantford is being used by the Community Sports Councils of Ontario as a best practices – if you will,” said Bill Harding, the organization’s vice-chair, during Tuesday’s committee meeting. “We want to get people here to showcase what can happen in a community when everybody works together. I’m looking forward to seeing the first shovel in the ground for this project.”

The plan still needs final approval from council.

This is the second major sports project for the city. In December, council approved plans for a new sports and entertainment complex to be built next to the TD Civic Centre on Market Street. That facility, when finished, will be the new home arena for the Brantford Bulldogs.