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Community Recreation Centre

Completed in 2026, North Bay's new Community Recreation Centre - WFCU Place - is a $63-million recreation facility at the Steve Omischl Sports Field Complex.

The project added two regulation-sized ice pads, an indoor walking track, 14 dressing rooms, spectator seating and community meeting space to the existing sports field complex. Together, these facilities create a year-round recreation destination for residents and community organizations.

The project was funded through contributions from the federal and provincial governments, the City of North Bay and other partners. Construction was completed by EllisDon and the facility officially opened in August 2026.

WFCU Place also features energy-efficient building systems, including technology that captures waste heat from the ice-making process to help heat the facility and domestic water.

The project is the largest recreation infrastructure project in the City's history and provides new capacity for sport, recreation and community activities.

The project was informed by public consultation and the findings of the Multi-use Recreational Facility (MURF) Feasibility Study, originally completed in 2013 and updated in 2019.

Key features

  • Two standard hockey-size ice pads
  • Indoor walking and running track
  • Fully accessible building
  • Warm spectator viewing areas
  • Community room and meeting space
  • 14 barrier-free team change rooms, including eight that can be converted into four larger change rooms
  • More than 400 parking spaces
  • Bus parking spaces
  • Transit pick-up and drop-off location at the main entrance

WFCU Place officially opened in August 2026 and provides expanded opportunities for sport, recreation and community activities in North Bay.

Quick Facts

  • The total project budget was over $62 million.
  • The project was delivered on time and on budget.
  • The facility includes:
    • Two regulation sized ice pads
    • An indoor walking track
    • Community meeting space
    • 14 dressing rooms
    • Accessible recreation spaces for year-round use
    • The complex will feature 406 parking spots, including 14 accessible spaces.
  • Key sustainability features include:
    • waste heat from the CO2-based ice plant serves as the primary heat source for space and water heating
    • cutting edge cold climate heat pumps serve as a secondary heat source
    • reduced energy consumption and carbon emissions compared to conventional designs
    • designed to support future solar and battery integration

Funding contributions:

  • The federal government invested over $25.7 million through the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program and over $9.4 million through the Community Stream of the Build Communities Strong Fund.
  • The Government of Ontario invested $2 million through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation
  • $1.5 million in municipal contributions from OLG generated through Cascades Casino North Bay
  • $1.5 million in Municipal Accommodation Tax revenues.
  • The municipal taxpayer-funded share of the project is approximately $23 million, after excluding federal and provincial contributions, OLG game revenues, and Municipal Accommodation Tax revenues.