Gym, stadium and outdoor store: a brand-new centre designated as Improved physical training capacity is set to open at the Saint-Jean Garrison. This imposing almost 1,000-m2 facility is actually an extension of an existing building. It has been attached to the main garrison building and will become a multi-purpose facility for training recruits.
Planned 10 years ago, this new infrastructure adds training capacity and new physical activity facilities. The centrepiece of the project is the new 5,200-m2 sports stadium, which includes a circular running track. In the middle of it is a soccer field, which can also be divided into three smaller units that can accommodate six teams.
The expansion also includes an equipment rental centre, a warehouse, a 929-m2 three-storey gym, brand new locker rooms, and offices and classrooms. Removable bleachers are also in the works to complete the stadium. Recruits will be able to play a variety of sports, from volleyball to badminton to track and field.
"The challenges of this project are related to attaching the new building to the old structure, which is over 40 years old," explains Marie-France Boulanger, DCC Coordinator, Construction Services.
Despite the interruption caused by government measures related to COVID-19, work is going well. Boulanger credits much of this success to DCC's excellent collaboration with Christine Tellier, DND's Winnipeg-based project manager, and the Personnel Support Program team, whose members will be the future users of the facilities.
This project, awarded in February 2019, will be fully completed in the next few weeks. Phase 2 will involve the demolition of an existing building on the Garrison and the relocation of its occupants to the newly completed premises.
"Our efficient teamwork, even from a distance, greatly facilitated coordination on the site and all the logistics surrounding the moving operations," says Boulanger.