Potential Users

Some have argued the potential users of this facility will come from a variety of regions. Others have stated the likeliest of users will come from a much smaller radius.

Multi-district, multi-purpose

There are several multi-district, multi-purpose facilities in HRM including Dartmouth Sportsplex, Cole Harbour Place and Sackville Sports Stadium. These facilities provide a variety of services to a large geographic area encompassing more than one district, in urban and suburban situations, usually within a 20 to 30 minute drive time. In rural situations, citizens would likely drive 50-60 minutes to access this type of facility.

The Major Recreation Facilities Study (MRFS) completed in 1998 concluded it would not be ideal to serve a broad geographic area including St. Margaret's Bay, Bedford, Sackville and parts of the Halifax Pennisula, with a single multi-district, multi-purpose facility. Instead, the plan called for a Regional Aquatic/Fitness Centre and Library to be constructed on the Mainland Common site with other components such as meeting facilities, rinks and small libraries to be interspersed throughout smaller communities.

The Regional Aquatic/Fitness Centre would be intended to serve a broad radius including parts of Bedford, Hammonds Plains, Tantallon, Timberlea, and Prospect as well as the immediate area in Clayton Park, Rockingham, Fairview, and Fairmount.

Needs beyond a Regional Aquatic/Fitness Centre

Ideally, a regional aquatic/fitness centre would include a leisure pool, field house, wellness centre, and competitive swimming pool capable of hosting national level swim meets. However, some have argued that despite the recommendations of the MRFS, given that Mainland North's population relative to the recreational services available, other multi-purpose components should be included such as ice surfaces for hockey or curling. Currently, Mainland North's only ice surface is Centennial Arena, which is 40 years old is smaller than standard North American rink dimensions.

Physical Activity and Recreation interest groups

Various provincial sport organizations have expressed interest in this project. Build it Right is working with Sport Nova Scotia who has assembled a group of sport organizations to produce a report on facility needs. This group includes:

• Diving
• Underwater Hockey
• Triathalon
• Softball
• Hockey
• Soccer
• Figure Skating
• Lifesaving
• Baseball
• Athletics
• Synchro
• Volleyball
• Basketball
• Gymnastics