Prime Minister Stephen Harper today participated in the unveiling of Ryerson University’s new athletic and recreational centre, the Mattamy Athletic Centre, located on the upper two floors of the historic Gardens building.
“This arena was a historic hockey centre and cultural landmark for many years, and our Government is proud to have invested in the redevelopment of the facility,” said the Prime Minister. “This project created over 600 jobs, spurred economic growth in Toronto and provides Ryerson University and the surrounding community with a world-class sports and recreation centre for generations to come.”
The Mattamy Athletic Centre measures at over 150,000 square feet (approximately 13,900 square metres) which more than doubles Ryerson University’s athletic and recreational space. It features a full-size skating rink, a multipurpose court for basketball and volleyball, studios, a fitness centre and a high performance gym. In addition, there is academic space for related courses and research, plus recreational space and room for food concessions. The athletic centre is accessible to Ryerson's faculty, staff and students, as well as the local community. It is also the new home of the Ryerson Rams.
Federal support to the project was provided through the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund (ISF), as part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan. The ISF supported more than 4,000 projects across the country, including nearly 2,000 key infrastructure projects in Ontario.
Thanks to Economic Action Plan 2012 and Canada’s strong economic and financial fundamentals, the Canadian economy has recovered from the global recession better than most other industrialized countries. Among G-7 countries, Canada has posted the strongest growth in employment by far during the recovery with nearly 750,000 net new jobs created since July 2009.
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