Thank you to the provincial government for allocating $4 million to build a multi-sport indoor complex with artificial turf for use during the winter months.
If this recent Sudbury weather isn’t enough justification, I don’t know what is.
I am pleased — and relieved — that the Fabio Belli Foundation is proceeding with the plan to build a facility now that funding has been secured. Fabio was a very good friend of mine for many years before his sudden passing in April of 2014. To name the facility in his honour is a fantastic tribute to his vision and efforts, to his family, and to his legacy. There isn’t a day I don’t drive by the corner of Auger and Lasalle without thinking about him at his store, Just Soccer/BMI.
The benefits of this indoor facility to the Sudbury community are numerous — and not just for soccer.
Sports and other recreational activities can now be played year-round, in modern facilities that will allow Sudbury athletes the same opportunities as other Ontarians across the province and Canadians across the country. The facility will foster a more vibrant and healthy community.
Many sports, schools, post-secondary institutions, clubs, dry-land training services, and other recreational activities stand to use this facility, including baseball, football, and frisbee, to name a few.
Rather than having to travel beyond city limits, Sudbury’s players, coaches, and organizations now can host tournaments and championships right here in the central hub of Northern Ontario.
I was present at the recent announcement, along with several players and parents from the soccer community. For the first time in a long time, there is a real sense of hope — rather than just rumours and unsubstantiated claims. That’s the good news.
But — there’s always a but.
But, I question the proposed location? I realize beggars can’t be choosers at this point; yet, the City of Greater Sudbury should still be held accountable for its lack of planning and short-sightedness.
When the Soccer Centre (Exhibition Centre) on Falconbridge was lost two years ago and soccer was relegated to school gym floors, the city should have found an alternative for sports enthusiasts during the winter months — heaven forbid perhaps removing ice from one of its several arenas.
Sadly, I still don’t understand the municipal government has contributed to this or plans to. The most I hear about the municipal government is the constant road blocks and hurdles it puts up to stop initiatives like these from moving forward.
Questions now remain: When does the shovel go in the ground? What is the timeline for us, Sudbury’s citizens, to use this facility? Will it be ready for November 2018? If not, why not?
Give us some more concrete details. We’ve waited too long.
Giuseppe Politi
Sudbury Soccer Coach