Transforming a Vision into Reality

Trent is committed to providing an environment for enabling all individuals to reach their goals, strive for excellence and achieve balance in their lives through healthy lifestyle choices. This commitment is the driving force behind a focused effort to enhance and improve the athletic and recreation facilities and programs.

Why Now? Complementing the City’s Vision 2010

Peterborough’s north end is growing. The population of seniors is on the rise. We are facing a childhood obesity and inactivity crisis. Residents with physical disabilities need more recreational programming. Our workforce is prone to high levels of stress. And Trent students require a facility that can meet their needs for varsity sports and other recreational pursuits.

The renewed and expanded athletics and recreation facilities at Trent will be designed to meet the needs of all of these important target groups. Discussion and planning for the new facilities have been underway for the past six years. Over 20 campus and community meetings have been held and input and recommendations have been gathered for the future needs of facilities at Trent.

In the community, Trent’s plans are also supported by the City of Peterborough’s Vision 2010: A Strategic Plan for Recreation, Parks and Culture. Within this community-driven, partnership-based strategy, the need for a recreation centre to serve the needs of the north end of the City and surrounding townships is outlined. Vision 2010 also states that this multipurpose recreation centre should include:

• Aquatic facilities
• Health and well-being facilities
• Recreation facilities for older adults
• Opportunities for youth and youth-at-risk

With Vision 2010 in hand, we are uniquely equipped to provide for the athletic, recreation and leisure needs of the community. With the construction of two new facilities – the Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre and the Family YMCA – the area most in need of new facilities of this kind is at Trent University, in the growing north end of the City.
Recognizing the need and opportunity, the University is committed to combining state-of-the-art new features and additions with enhanced existing facilities to make Trent a regional hub for sport and recreation.

Fulfilling a Promise to Our Students
With an increased focus on the needs of residents of the Peterborough community, Trent University cannot forget about another primary user group of our facilities – our students.

Trent students agree – the University needs a renewed athletics and recreation facility to recruit top athletes, build on existing varsity excellence, and support award-winning campus recreation programming. To date, students have seen their support for athletics translate into the completion of the new state-of-the-art stadium and new natural grass playing fields on the east bank. Excited by these changes, students are now eager to see the complete vision realized – the creation of a modern venue for sports and recreational pursuits, in a building that is environmentally sound, energy efficient and sustainable, for use by all members of the Trent community for years to come.