After more than 15 years of discussions, planning, setbacks and resurrection in a different form, the WFCU Place community recreation centre and twin-pad hockey arena at the Steve Omischl Sports Field Complex opened its doors to the public for the first time Friday. The opening signals that a new era of hockey has begun in the city’s West Ferris neighbourhood. Construction on WFCU Place began a year and eight months ago on Dec. 8, 2024. The facility was delivered on time and on budget through a progressive design-build process led by EllisDon. WFCU Place features two standard-sized hockey rinks, a walking track, a community room or meeting space, 14 barrier-free change rooms, over 400 parking spots and a city bus pick-up and drop-off location. ‘We finally made it’ Outgoing Mayor Peter Chirico captured the mood of the opening ceremony. “Well, I guess we finally made it,” Chirico said in his remarks. “This will be the anchor for West Ferris.” After a few short speeches, a ribbon-cutting ceremony took place, and people were already lacing up their skates to try out the rink. Mike Finner, who was part of the original arena committee team, said he was overjoyed to see the project completed after all those years. “There’s been ups and downs, triumphs and disasters and well it’s been a long time coming. I had dark hair when we started,” Finner said. “I’m ecstatic and it’s a day for celebration.” Young hockey players were among those eager to experience the new facility. “It’s pretty cool. I thought it was going to take a lot longer,” young hockey player Jackson Dagg said. “I’m pretty excited to go on the ice with my team here.” Fellow hockey player Ella Dagg noted the convenience and space the arena offers. “It’s closer for a lot of people and there’s more space here,” she said. Funding supported sustainable design The federal government invested over $25.7 million through the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program and over $9.4 million through the Community Stream of the Build Communities Strong Fund. The province invested $2 million through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation. The city contributed $1.5 million in municipal contributions from OLG generated through Cascades Casino North Bay and $1.5 million in Municipal Accommodation Tax revenues. WFCU Place is one of the first full-sized recreational facilities in Canada to meet the Canada Green Building Council’s Zero Carbon Design V3 standard. According to the city, the facility includes energy-efficient systems, reduced carbon emissions and design elements that support future renewable energy integration. Nipissing-Timiskaming MP Pauline Rochefort addressed the community directly. “WFCU Place becomes yours. Embrace it,” Rochefort said. “Fill it with hockey games and walking clubs, tournaments and community events.” During his remarks, Chirico injected some humour regarding the facility’s exterior siding. Chirico jokingly thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for implementing tariffs on siding that was originally going to be used on the facility’s exterior. “Our architects, our contractor, and city staff sourced out another source from a friendly country called Spain. What we have on the walls today is a better product,” Chirico said. “It is 30 per cent cheaper than the siding that was going to come from the United States of America. So, I meant that sincerely. Thank you, Donald Trump. You saved us a bunch of money.” New rinks ease ice-time pressure as old arena closes Darrell Pitman, president of the North Bay Minor Hockey Association, said the additional ice pads will reduce competition for ice time. “This is good for hockey tournaments for all of the kids and for girls’ ringette,” Pitman said. “It’s going to be great bringing lots of people in this city.” The project had been hotly debated over the past 15 years and went through many different iterations and potential locations. At one point, the proposed design featured a trident shape, and the cost ballooned to over $80 million. When that figure came back, council decided to step back and re-examine the facility’s scale and scope. WFCU Place was built to eventually replace the aging West Ferris Arena. City council voted last week to shut down its ice-making system, allowing the vacant facility to be safely secured while the next council considers the property’s future. “At the start of this council term, we made this a priority,” Chirico said. “That project is well past the end of its life. So, we’ll see what people decide. It’d be awfully expensive to do something down there.” Until a decision is made for that arena, the future of hockey and skating in North Bay has a new home for years to come.
