THUNDER BAY – Following the provincial funding announcement back on April 11, the Fort William Stadium will be getting a bit of a facelift as the $1.2 million from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund will be put towards some significant improvements at Fort William Stadium.
"You think of the memories that have taken place in this facility, whether it's minor football, high school sport, track and field, flag football, ultimate Frisbee, soccer, there's a number of sports that take place in this facility over the summer and fall, and this means more sports memories can happen in the future," said Paul Burke, sport and community development supervisor.
The funding will be used to cover roughly half the cost to install a brand new digital video scoreboard and replace the track, and the field, both of which are beginning to wear out.
“Safety is paramount. The field and the track were approaching the end of life and we want to make sure that those continue and that athletes have a safe experience,” said Burke.
The full project will cost $2.38 million, and the city currently has applications for other potential funding streams, and, some local organizations like Thunder Bay Minor Football and Superior Secondary Schools Athletic Association are also chipping in.
Work is set to begin this summer which Burke says shouldn’t affect users, and the full project is planned to be completed sometime in fall 2023.
