The back of the Commerce Court Parking lot where the school could one day see a multi-use sports facility. PHOTO BY CHRIS DAWSON.
Canadore College has a basketball court, is playing a role in Space flights coming out of North Bay, and now the school is looking for a partner to construct a multi sports facility which could include a twin pad ice arena.
Jessica Charette, Canadore College’s Director of Marketing says the school has put out an addendum seeking a company to build on their property behind the Commerce Court Campus - right next door to the aging Pete Palangio twin pad arena.
“We figured we should start looking to the future and looking at the multi-sports facility,” said Charette.
“Everyone is always clamouring about more ice so we thought we would create an addendum and see if there’s anyone out there who could accommodate our request,” said Charette, who has advertised the opportunity on the public tendering website www.Merx.com
The city, which would likely be a partner in this process, contracted a company to do a feasibility study on this hot topic back in 2012.
West Ferris Minor Hockey President Jim Hall believes it’s a great idea but he says they have been down this road before.
“We would like to see another twin ice pad,” said Hall, who has 683 kids enrolled in the association, which is up 30 from 2013-14.
“I sat on MURF study but the bottom line we would like to see it but who has the money to jump in on that. West Ferris Minor Hockey doesn’t have the money to help out but we wish all the luck in the world.”
North Bay has 4 indoor ice pads. Two are located at Pete Palangio arena, along with the newly renovated Memorial Gardens ice surface, and West Ferris arena.
Charette believes a new facility would be a benefit to the school and the community.
“We also believe in the community and this would be something open to the community as our some of our other resources, so if we can present something for student body and community then we are all for it,” she added.
