New track and field facilities for 2025 Canada Games

Today, Mayor Danny Breen was joined by the Honourable Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador; the Honourable Seamus O’Regan Jr., Minister of Labour; Joanne Thompson, Member of Parliament for St. John’s East; and, the Honourable Krista Lynn Howell, Minister of Municipal Affairs, to announce over $34 million in joint funding for a new outdoor track and field facility and an indoor multi-purpose facility to host the 2025 Canada Summer Games.

This funding will enable the City of St. John’s to offer high-quality facilities for athletes and visitors of the 2025 Canada Games track and field events.

The project includes the installation of a 400-metre track, an outdoor throwing area for field events, as well as an indoor facility with washrooms and change rooms, administrative office space, multi-purpose space, storage space and a training area.

The new venue will also support the development of a center of excellence for coaching, refereeing, and training for amateur-level sport in Newfoundland and Labrador, creating a legacy for the Games.

The governments of Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador, along with the City of St. John’s, are each investing more than $11.5 million in this project.

By investing in infrastructure, the Government of Canada is growing our country’s economy, increasing the resiliency of our communities, and improving the lives of Canadians.

Quotes

“On behalf of City Council, we are thrilled to host Canada Summer Games 2025. I thank our provincial and federal government partners for cost-sharing a new outdoor track and field facility and an indoor facility in the City of St. John’s. This investment will provide short term economic benefits through the design and construction phase, and will provide many long-term benefits to our community through supporting the health and wellness of our residents and sporting community for many years after the games.”

Danny Breen, Mayor of St. John’s

“As the City of St. John’s prepares to host thousands of athletes and visitors from across Canada, a new track and field facility will be a pivotal element of the 2025 Canada Summer Games. Longer-term, it will invite significant social and economic benefits by helping create healthier, more active communities and improving the province’s ability to host regional and national sporting competitions.”

Honourable Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador

“With plans for the 2025 Canada Summer Games in St. John’s well underway, this new track and field facility will help us ensure that athletes, coaches and volunteers will have a modern facility for training and competing. The people of Newfoundland and Labrador will also benefit from this project, as we will have a piece of legacy infrastructure that brings employment and sports tourism to the province, as well as a facility for people of all ages to practice active, healthy living and wellness.”

Honourable Steve Crocker, Minister of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation

“Investing in this new track and field facility will continue to create opportunities for local athletes and help bring other athletes to our province. Partnering with the federal government and City of St. John's to cost-share projects like this helps significant infrastructure get completed and we look forward to more collaboration in the future.”

Honourable Elvis Loveless, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure

“When the country comes to St. John’s in 2025, we’ll be ready. Our athletes will train here, they’ll compete here, and they’ll remind the world that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians should never be underestimated.”

Honourable Seamus O’Regan Jr., Minister of Labour, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities

 “Thanks to this lasting investment, our government will remain committed to supporting local athletes and providing residents with modern and well equipped indoor and outdoor facilities to stay active and healthy long after the 2025 Canada Summer Games.”

Joanne Thompson, Member of Parliament for St. John’s East