To the Editor and North Bay City Council,
On August 20, 2011, the Steve Omischl Sports Complex was opened to the public as a multi-sport complex. The facility has 3 soccer fields (1 lined for football), and 3 ball diamonds. In addition, the facility provides a wonderful recreational space for a range of sports and user groups in our North Bay and surrounding communities.
The facility hosts practices, games, tournaments, and festivals attracting participants from around the province. Unfortunately, a glaring, ongoing concern is the lack of adequate dressing rooms. On a summer or fall day, it is not uncommon to find visiting teams from a range of youth sports travelling to North Bay who are forced to change in the parking lot, in their vehicles, or even in the public washroom space as there are no change room facilities available.
User groups such as the North Bay Bulldogs have expressed their need for enhanced change room facilities.
See Letter to the Editor dated June 21, 2018, North Bay Bulldogs say without change rooms at Omischl sports complex, players are dressing outside.
This is a public safety concern because of the possibility of someone making a complaint against a player for indecent exposure or a worse-case scenario, where a player is sexually assaulted when changing in a vehicle. On a rainy day when players are travelling to and from their out-of-town homes after a game, they need to be able to change from wet to dry uniforms or clothes. Also, the present rules for OFSSA competitions require changing facilities to be available at sports fields.
Although the proposed new multi-sport arena and complex has incorporated additional spaces in the design to address this issue, we felt as a collective voice for sport in our community, Sport North Bay needed to highlight this ongoing concern. Decisions are being made at a municipal level regarding the proposed new arena complex design. With the increased number of sports teams of all genders playing league and playoff games here each season, we need to address this important safety concern for participants in our community.
To address this concern, it may require a separate and immediate undertaking prior to the completion of the much-needed multi-sport arena complex. This immediate need could be addressed with the provision of portable/removable buildings which would serve as change rooms. Other creative solutions may evolve and involve partnerships with user groups, businesses, and/or funding from northern and governmental bodies (e.g., FedNor).
Yours in Sports,
Heather Chambers, on behalf of the Board
Chair
Sport North Bay
