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Take a look inside Fort McMurray’s colossal rumpus room
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TRISH McALASTER

This article was published more than 8 years ago. Some information may no longer be current.

Playing around in the Fort



FORT MAC
A year-long project about Fort McMurray, Alta., which has come to be the emblem of Canada's energy sector – and all the issues that surround it.
MORE FROM THE PROJECT

This Saturday, the CFL visits its most northerly city ever, as the Edmonton Eskimos and Toronto Argonauts play at the $133-million Shell Place on Fort McMurray’s MacDonald Island.

MacDonald Island will also be the venue for a number of large-scale events in 2015, sure to draw the nation’s eye to this small but booming oil town.

Shell Place shares the island with the 450,000-square-foot Suncor Community Leisure Centre, one of Canada’s largest. Trish McAlaster took a look inside the sprawling athletics complex.
Brightcove player


(Open map in new window)

1. SPECIAL SERVICES

(Trish McAlaster/The Globe and Mail)

- The Fort McMurray Public Library (see map: 1a) has a collection of more than 10,000 audio and print items, and online resources

- Conference rooms (see map: 1b) offer flexible spaces for community, meetings, banquets, weddings and trade shows, with in-house kitchen catering by a culinary team

2. NEXEN FIELD HOUSE AND ACTIVITY FIELD HOUSE

(Trish McAlaster/The Globe and Mail)

- Can be used for soccer, badminton, basketball, volleyball, indoor kids golf and more

- Each field house is about 20,000 square feet

- Daily activity schedules are posted in front of each field house

3. SYNCRUDE AQUATIC CENTRE

(Layla Underwood/Regional Recreation Corporation of Wood Buffalo)

- 54-metre Canadian Dewatering Olympic swimming pool

- One three-metre and two one-metre diving boards

- A warm-water leisure pool

- A family whirlpool

- An adults-only whirlpool

- A water park and MIX 103.7FM spray park

- A lazy river

4. CURLING SHEETS

(Trish McAlaster/The Globe and Mail)

- Eight sheets, privately operated by the Oil Sands Curling Club

- MacDonald Island Park hosted the 2015 Syncrude Elite 10 Curling Tournament, part of the Grand Slam of Curling series

5. ICE RINKS AND ARENAS

(Trish McAlaster/The Globe and Mail)

- Canadian Natural Resources Arena (see map: 5a) is an NHL-size ice surface, open 17 hours a day

- Arena and leisure ice (see map: 5b) used for family skate and informal training

- Practice rink (see map: 5c)

- Hosted the 2015 Canadian Ringette Championships

6. CLIMBING WALL AND RACQUET COURTS

(Trish McAlaster/The Globe and Mail)

- 26 feet high

- 14 top anchor ropes

- Three auto belay ropes

- 42 interchangeable routes and 18 for bouldering

- Three courts available for squash and/or racquetball

7. GALLERY SPACE, ART AND DANCE STUDIOS

(Trish McAlaster/The Globe and Mail)

- Mi Dance Academy has two dedicated dance studios

- The MacDonald Island Community Art Gallery along the hallways is presented by Kirschner Family Corporation

- Two studio spaces for the Arts Programs offered by the Regional Recreation Corporation

8. GYM SPACE AND TRACK

(Layla Underwood/Regional Recreation Corporation of Wood Buffalo)

- The Fort McKay Group of Companies running track is 190 m (inside lane) and 210 m (outside lane)

- Total Fitness Centre (see map: 8b) is 15,000 sq feet, had 254,735 patrons in 2014

- 200 dumbbells

- 12 rowers

- 62 bikes

- Two punching bags

- 25 treadmills

- 10 steppers

9. BASEBALL/SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT CENTRE

(Layla Underwood/Regional Recreation Corporation of Wood Buffalo)

- 2,300-seat baseball stadium with four adjacent softball fields and the capacity to host 5,500 fans

- “Berm” and “party zone” areas

- Will play a major role in the Western Canada Summer Games, along with the Suncor Centre facilities

10. SMS STADIUM AND MAIN STAGE

(Layla Underwood/Regional Recreation Corporation of Wood Buffalo)

- The stadium features a CFL-sized football field, 5,000 permanent seats

- Expanded seating for 15,000+

- The CNOOC Nexen Stage will play host to an Aerosmith concert in 2015

- Will host a pair of North American Soccer League matches involving FC Edmonton

11. SHELL PLACE FIELD HOUSE AND BADMINTON CENTRE

(Layla Underwood/Regional Recreation Corporation of Wood Buffalo)

- A multi-sport hub for both community use and sport-user group training sessions

- A retractable gate design allows the field house to serve as a venue for a variety of events of both a community and sports nature