TORONTO: Mayor John Tory officially reopened the City of Toronto’s Agincourt Community Recreation Centre (CRC), in Scarborough, on Sunday following extensive work to repair damage resulting from a fire at the facility in January 2019.
The arena facilities were reopened for ice programming in September 2019 and the community recreation centre opened its doors for public use of washrooms and showers beginning in April 2021, after being closed to the public for approximately two years.
Mayor Tory was joined by Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson (Scarborough Centre), Councillor Cynthia Lai (Scarborough North) and Parks, Forestry and Recreation General Manager Janie Romoff to tour the new site and to announce the details of the reconstruction.
While there were no injuries during the 2019 fire, the roof and other areas of the community recreation centre were extensively damaged. Given the severity of the damage, extensive reconstruction work was required to ensure public safety.
The Agincourt CRC features fitness facilities, an indoor swimming pool and two indoor ice rinks. In 2018, the Agincourt CRC offered more than 1,700 registered courses, drop-in programs and permits for community use.
Repairs and improvements completed as part of reconstruction work include:
• Building and facade
o New timber roof, shingles and windows, woods-inspired cedar paneling on pool exterior, painted building exterior, roof top chiller and basement boilers, fire dampers, fire pump and back-up generator, as well as a new HVAC system. o A refresh of the existing courtyard with the installation of a new concrete patio, mulched gardens and interlocking pavers.
• Community Centre
o New lighting, window treatments, flooring and counter surfaces, new Lions Club dedicated kitchen and improvements to the existing teaching kitchen, new washroom partitions, increased community and office space, new dance hall flooring and equipment.
• Aquatic area
o New pool slide with refreshed tile in the tower access, improved insulation and wood panelling features, new windows, improved change room and the replacement of the chlorine gas pool sanitizing system to a more efficient liquid chlorine model. While Toronto remains in Step 2 of the Province’s reopening framework, the centre can only provide limited services to the public. Agincourt CRC is currently offering CampTO programming and campers are the first cohorts of Torontonians to make use of the centre’s reconstructed amenities.
City staff worked quickly after the 2019 fire to offer relocation options to permit holders and program participants. Approximately 14 hockey leagues and associations were accommodated at other Scarborough locations, and in most cases, on the same day and time as the original recreation programs.
Such programs returned to the Agincourt CRC when the arena facilities reopened in September 2019. Drop-in programs at seven nearby City-run community recreation centres were shifted slightly to accommodate the relocated instructional programs. Fitness and swim passes from Agincourt CRC were honoured at other City-run community recreation centres.
Mayor Tory said: “The Agincourt Community Recreation Centre has been a hub in the community for years, and the fire in 2019 impacted the lives of many. Staff worked around the clock to accommodate permits and programs to ensure residents were able to access these services elsewhere.
“In the meantime, work was underway to renovate and reconstruct this centre so that it can continue to serve the community. I want to thank everyone involved in not only adapting over the past two years to keep services open and moving at other centres for the Agincourt community, but for reimagining this new centre that is fully equipped and prepared to open its doors when public health guidelines allow.”