The City is planning a new Community Recreation Centre, adaptively re-using the existing former Canadian Linseed Oil Mills Ltd. building (1910) at the south-east corner of Sorauren Park.
Timelines are subject to change.
The design of the new Wabash Community Recreation Centre will build on 20 years of previous planning and consultation work by both City staff and the local community which has played a strong role in driving this project forward.
The City first identified the Wabash site in a 1999 report as one of five historically under-served areas and purchased it in 2000.
Thanks to the advocacy and fundraising by Friends of Sorauren Park and the local community, several improvements were made to the site, including renovations to the Field House in 2008, and the construction of the Town Square in 2014.
The City’s new 20 year Parks and Recreation Facilities Master Plan again identified the site as a priority for a new community centre, this time specifying that it should include:
Through a proposal call process, the City has hired the award-winning architectural firm of Diamond & Schmitt Architects Incorporated as prime consultant, along with their team of sub-consultants (Engineers, Heritage Architect, Landscape Architect and Public Engagement consultants), to begin the design process.
City staff hosted a public meeting to introduce the project to the community and to hear initial ideas on potential facility programs/features the community might like to see for the recreation centre. Feedback from this meeting helped to inform the scope of work and hiring of the project’s Consultant Team.
An important part of the planning process includes obtaining feedback from the community in order to ensure that diverse voices are heard and all ideas and recommendations are considered. The City is working with Swerhun Inc. – consultation and engagement specialists – to ensure that community members and stakeholders are involved in the Wabash Community Recreation Centre planning process.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, community engagement plans have been delayed, however, the engagement process will restart during the summer of 2020.