Thunder Bay, Ont., city council forms committee to guide turf sports project

Thunder Bay City Council has officially formed a new, five-person committee that will help guide the development of a new, all-weather turf sports facility.

The committee was formed at Monday's meeting, and its members include Mayor Bill Mauro, and city councillors Andrew Foulds, Kristen Oliver, Albert Aiello and Mark Bentz.

"I want it to move quickly," Mauro said. "I'm hoping that our work can be concluded within three to four months in terms of the decisions that we need to make."

The committee will make recommendations to council on things like the new facility's operating and financing models, as well as whether or not tennis will be included.

But Mauro noted the committee doesn't have any authority in and of itself, and any decisions will be made by council proper.

Mauro said the committee will begin meeting soon.

• Thunder Bay, Ont., city council gives green light to new turf sports building

Oliver said she'd like to see the facility meet as many needs as possible.

"I want to see us create something that's truly a multi-use facility," Oliver said. "We have to have an indoor turf facility that I want to see meet the needs of both soccer and football. We also know that we have Ulitmate Frisbee, and we have touch football groups."

Oliver said she's in favour of including tennis, but the question of how many courts will be included will be something the committee looks at.

"It's so multi-faceted," she said. "When we look at how our economy is changing, we need to find ways of attracting people here. The college and university have done a really good job in attracting international students, who are bringing with them new sports and ideas."

Council approved the new facility in principle last week. It's slated to be built in Chapples Park, and the hope is that construction will start next summer.