THUNDER BAY — Thunder Bay’s city council expressed strong interest in a Soccer Northwest Ontario proposal for an indoor turf facility adjacent to the Community Auditorium on Monday and called for a report back on the concept by March, months earlier than staff initially said was possible.
About 70 to 80 soccer players, family members, and other supporters rallied in front of city hall ahead of Monday’s council meeting, pressing council for action on a file it’s debated for years — spanning multiple terms — without finding a way forward.
Jaime Carpenter said she showed up because she wants better opportunities for kids like hers, who play with Superior Rush.
She said the limited options for indoor play leave many children on the sidelines, while others practice at odd hours and miss out on tournaments and other opportunities.
“We wanted to show our support that we think it’s important for Thunder Bay to get an indoor sports facility for more than just hockey in the winter,” she said. “We’re running out of facilities for our kids to play in.”
Christine Minnella, whose children play with the Thunder Bay Chill and the Rush, said practicing at the Tournament Centre, where an ice rink has been converted into a makeshift indoor turf field, is creating more injuries for young players.
She also pointed to the economic impact of a turf facility, saying she travels to Winnipeg several times a year for soccer.
“We’re constantly going there, they’re benefiting from that economic income to their city,” she said. “It would be so beneficial if we had that coming back here.”
Inside, Soccer Northwest Ontario leaders presented to council, pitching the facility as a logical next step in municipal infrastructure that would fill a major gap in winter recreation needs.
The group put forward a vision last month for a steel-supported structure adjacent to the auditorium, expressing confidence the design could be built for $20 million or less.
That’s less than half the price tag of a $45 million design at Chapples Park that proved too expensive for the previous council’s taste after it failed to attract federal funding.
That’s in part because the location avoids the challenges of building at Chapples, said Soccer Northwest Ontario president Michael Veneziale.
The 147-by-56.5 metre building would include 10 change rooms, a pro shop, concession, gathering area, meeting room, offices, accessible washrooms, a second floor mezzanine, and floor-level seating, Soccer Northwest Ontario says.
The proposal is supported by all other major indoor turf user groups and the Community Auditorium, according to the organization.
Sarah Black, 17, a player with the Superior Rush, told council the lack of indoor turf infrastructure leads some youth to stop playing.
“I have had many friends quit or leave over the past few years,” she said. “Lack of field time, late-night games, and [poor] playing conditions deter many people from playing.”
Soccer Northwest Ontario has noted the city has $17.5 million already accumulated in a reserve fund intended to be used for indoor turf, though council could choose to spend the money elsewhere.
Council voted Monday to direct city administration to assess the proposal and report back by March 13, about two months earlier than administration said was feasible.
City manager Norm Gale said staff couldn’t deliver a thorough report before May, given how much of their time and energy will be consumed by the city budget process in January and February.
“We appreciate that community stakeholders and user groups are anxious for a solution — we get it,” he said. “We will not be able to give you a wholesome report in March — you will not get the information that I think you seek, because we simply will not be able to do it.”
Mayor Ken Boshcoff expressed incredulity at that timeline, suggesting he was satisfied with the proposal and questioning what more could be learned.
“I don’t really know how much more information can ever be provided on any one topic," he said. "People have been talking about this for such a long time.”
“I understand due diligence very well. We asked questions on everything … and we got the answers. So I want to put this on the fast track.”
“Let’s hit the gas on this project,” agreed Coun. Trevor Giertuga (At-Large), moving to amend the report-back date to March. “I want this to be a fire under administration.”
However, staff and some councillors urged caution.
“I know there’s going to be some interest in pushing this forward, and I get it — I totally get it,” said Coun. Andrew Foulds (Current River). “But I do think we need to make sure we get the correct information.”
Foulds voted with Coun. Brian Hamilton (McKellar) and Coun. Kirsten Oliver (Westfort) against Giertuga's amendment, arguing administration should have more time to fully vet the proposal.
That would include conducting public consultation, considering the impact of displacing softball and baseball groups who currently use a baseball diamond at the proposed site, site assessment including preparation for an environmental assessment, and a traffic impact assessment, said general manager of community services Kelly Robertson.
"Realistically, in my mind, construction wouldn’t happen in 2024," she cautioned council. "I know for the original facility at Chapples Park, we had an 18-to-24 month time horizon for construction. So I think realistically, a solution is more likely to be for the 2025 season."
Coun. Rajni Agarwal (At-Large) asked about the proposed site’s environmental history, saying a city dump was previously located there.
“We just want to make sure … before we spend any heavy dollars, we do a quick environmental study on the soils there,” she said. “Because it’s our kids and their future.”
Veneziale said the city would have to perform a fuller assessment, but that his understanding is the dump was located further west.
Agarwal also questioned the city’s ability to build public infrastructure for other sports, like it had for hockey.
“A lot of the … facilities we built in the past was when we had five paper mills — we don’t have that today,” she said.
Coun. Mark Bentz (At-Large) questioned how the proposal fit with five existing proposals for an indoor turf facility the city already received from the private sector over a year ago through an expression of interest process.
Gale advised against “going down two streams,” saying the city should move forward on one solution or the other. In an email, Gale said he will now seek to defer a report on the expressions of interest that had been planned for January.
