Saskatoon Tourism wants downtown sports facility

As the City of Saskatoon nears the completion of its growth plan document, Tourism Saskatoon is calling for the inclusionof a major downtown sports facility.

During an interview onSaskatoon Morning,Randy Fernets, the organization's director of industry development and sport, said that a new arena or recreation facility would help attract morevisitors to the city.

"We bid on national and international events, and they come in rotations, and what we're seeingacross the nation is facilities that are being built are starting to put us back in the rotation alittle bit because we don't have those facilities,"Fernets said.

He pointed toother cities like Richmond, B.C, Edmonton and Winnipeg where sportsfacilities are credited with creating economic growth.

"[Richmond] has two Olympic ice surfaces and facilities for basketball, volleyball, weightlifting,fitness and different things that are happening," said Fernets. "It used to be an old warehousedistrict, it's now spurred condo development."

Fernets said north downtown could be a good fit for either an arena or a more general recreational facility.

"If you look at that area when we have the rail line going right through it, doesn't it make sense to put something that the whole city can use, using[light rail transit]to get down to it in the future," saidFernets.

In the long term, Fernets believes a new sports facility could make the Saskatoon more attractive to new residents as well.

"The young demographic that we're looking at now wants to be in participatory sports so we need to get looking at that and give them some reason again to come to Saskatoon and buy a house and work here as well."

The city's growth plan heads to committee on April 18, with council expected to make a final decision on the plan on April 25.