Soccer Northwest Ontario finds support for its new turf facility plan at Thunder Bay city council

The president of Soccer Northwest Ontario says he's "excited to see what comes next" after Thunder Bay councillors showed their support for a new proposal for an all-season turf sports facility. 

Michael Veneziale gave a deputation about the project to council at Monday's meeting, outlining a new proposal that would see a turf sports facility constructed near the Canada Games Complex and Thunder Bay Community Auditorium.

"I believe we do have a lot of support on council," Veneziale told CBC News. "I'm really happy with how it went, and the response that we got back from council."

The Soccer Northwest Ontario proposal includes a design for a hangar-type facility that would include one large soccer field, which could be broken up into smaller fields as needed.

The facility is also being designed to accommodate trade shows and other events. The preferred site is next to the complex and auditorium, on a spot currently occupied by a baseball field.

The price tag of soccer organization's proposal as designed, Veneziale has said, is less than $20 million; the city has about $17.5 million already earmarked for a turf sports facility.

The city had been developing its own version of the project, which would see the facility built at Chapples Park at a cost of about $46 million.

That version of the project stalled earlier this year after the federal government turned down a funding request, and the previous council subsequently decided to hold off on moving the project forward until after the October municipal election.

Current River Coun. Andrew Foulds tabled a motion Monday asking city administration to report back on the soccer organization's project in May; however, that was amended by Coun. Trevor Giertuga to shorten the timeline to March.

Councillors voted in favour of the amended motion, and the report is due back by March 13.

"I previously didn't support the $46 million project," Gierturga said. "I think it was far too out of our price range."

"It seemed apparent around the table that most council wouldn't support it either," he said. "So when [Soccer Northwest Ontario] came forward with this new proposal around the $20 million mark, I could support that."

Gierguta said he didn't think administration would need until May to prepare a report, given all the work that has already done.

"If [administration] can't have it done, the fulsome report done, by March, then they'll just simply, like they always do, come forward with a a memo saying 'we don't have it ready, we'll bring it back next month,'" Giertuga said.

Foulds noted the report is expected to be a robust one.

"I think many on council were very open minded to the concept," he said. "There were some concerns and questions that need to be answered that were voiced by members of council, including what will happen to the users of the baseball field?"

"What do the synergies with surrounding services look like? Community auditorium, the complex, Port Arthur Stadium, Port Arthur Arena?"

"There's a lot of bedrock in in that area, so some research needs to be done in terms of, what do the footings look like?" Foulds said. "The concept that was presented [Monday] night is a concept we need to validate."

Council will make a final decision on how to proceed following the delivery of the report. Even if the SNO version of the project is approved by council, however, construction is likely a while off.

"It's gonna take some time," Foulds said. "It was suggested [Monday] night by our senior administration that we're probably looking at 2024-2025."

"Of course we would all like it to be done quicker, but I think the key is that we do it well."

Prior to Monday's council meeting, Veneziale said a large group of supporters of the project held a rally in front of Thunder Bay City Hall.

"The support was amazing," he said. "We had over 200 people there, and having the kids playing outside and chanting 'let us play' ... and seeing council come to the window to wave down to kids and the supporters there was phenomenal."