Grand opening of UVic’s Centre for Athletics, Recreation and Special Abilities

UVic is proud to open its first new athletics and recreation facility in 40 years as the university’s centre for active and healthy living, and to support student athletes to train and compete at the highest levels.

The Centre for Athletics, Recreation and Special Abilities (CARSA) is centrally located on campus providing the equivalent space of three football fields for athletics and recreation programs, as well as the new home for CanAssist, an innovative program that develops technologies, programs and services for people living with disabilities.

“What we offer here in CARSA is a hub for sports excellence, physical activity, healthy living and wellness for everyone,” says UVic President Jamie Cassels. “This is an inclusive, one-of-a-kind facility: a home to champions, a resource to the wider community and a place where aspiration transforms into achievement.”

The multi-level building includes a huge multi-purpose field house with flexible space for court sports, a two-level fitness and weight training area, the 16-metre Peninsula Co-op Climbing Centre and bouldering area, squash and racquetball courts, studios for yoga, dance, spin and TRX classes and a 2,100-seat performance gym, which will officially open later this summer.

CanAssist will benefit from a doubling of its current space for labs, offices, a customized machine shop and community meeting room.

“Our wonderful new home in CARSA is a clear demonstration of UVic’s strong commitment, both to disability issues and to community service,” says CanAssist Executive Director Robin Syme. “This new space will greatly enhance CanAssist’s ability to develop innovative and practical new technologies for many individuals living in BC and beyond, expand our capacity to work with UVic faculty and provide meaningful learning opportunities to hundreds of students each year.”

Replacing aging and outdated facilities, CARSA is the newest building on a campus that has grown significantly since 2000 in students, faculty and staff. Over that period, UVic has spent over $300 million on capital projects, including 12 new and renovated academic buildings, transforming the campus.

CARSA is expected to strengthen UVic’s competitiveness to attract and retain outstanding students and to deliver quality recreational and experiential learning opportunities on campus and for the broader community.

The $77-million project includes significant renovation to the McKinnon Building, providing much needed teaching and research space for UVic’s School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education, as well as a new parkade at McKenzie Avenue and Gabriola Road. The project is funded by the university, donor and sponsorship support, membership fees and parking fees.

CARSA was built to meet the LEED Gold building certifications standards, includes technologies to reduce water consumption by 40 per cent, and derives half the energy needed for cooling and heating through a geothermal system.

Members of the community are invited to check out CARSA and sample free classes at a community open house on May 2 and 3 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tours will be offered on the half hour. For further information, visit www.vikesrec.ca.

See link below for backgrounder.

-- 30 --