The Athletics and Recreation Department can't wait to welcome students, employees and community members to the Waterfront Athletic Centre at Limberlost Place this fall! Students will have access to fitness classes, climbing-wall adventures, and the paddle sport taking over courts everywhere pickleball!
"We are getting on the pickleball train!" Athletic Facilities and Recreation Co-ordinator Nicole Carvalho said, noting the building's multi-purpose room is lined and ready to host games. "Our new multi-purpose room will give us the flexibility to offer pickleball and badminton along with a range of other net sports and other activities, creating a space that can adapt to the diverse interests of our students."
"I'm really looking forward to creating a sense of community and belonging in this new space."
Community members and George Brown employees can also access facility memberships for the large-scale weight room located on the basement level.
Carvalho is leading the charge in planning activities and events focused on fitness and fun at Waterfront Campus, and the facilities at Limberlost Place are sure to draw a lot of interest. Aside from the incredible surroundings (mass-timber, natural light, and Lake Ontario), the Waterfront Athletic Centre facility includes:
- A climbing wall, a first at George Brown, with five bouldering routes and two auto belays
- A multi-purpose room for paddle sports and other activities like corn hole, table tennis and fitness classes like Yoga, Pilates, HIIT (high intensity interval training), and HYROX
- A weight room fitted with a wide variety of modern machines and equipment
A cool fact about the weight room equipment: it was chosen with sustainability in mind, aligning nicely with the design, construction and operation of the mass-timber, net-zero carbon emissions building. Carvalho said manual and self-powered equipment was chosen where possible to reduce reliance on electricity.
Athletics and Recreation Manager Melanie Gerin-Lajoie said this facility is a long-awaited addition to Waterfront Campus that will serve many needs.
"The Waterfront Athletic Centre is about more than sports and fitness. It is a place where our students, employees and others will build connections and community that extend beyond the court or fitness class," she said. "After more than a decade in the making, this athletic facility will be an exciting hub at Waterfront Campus and in the surrounding neighbourhood that fosters belonging, fun, and health and well-being."
Get outside
A running club already happens at Waterfront Campus, and Carvalho hopes that when the weather is nice, she and her colleagues can lead more outdoor programming, taking advantage of the beautiful lakeside parks and public spaces.
"This is going to be amazing and fun. We get to launch a whole new facility and, I think, as time goes by, it will most likely become an outdoor hub, as well. That's one of my goals."
Coming this fall
The Limberlost facilities will take athletics and recreation activities at Waterfront Campus to the next level. Right now, there is a small temporary weight room next door at the Daphne Cockwell Centre for Health Sciences. The Limberlost facility addresses a long-standing need for increased fitness facilities on the campus.
Carvalho is looking forward to planning out activities for the academic year, including ones that cater to and showcase specific communities. For example, she hopes to incorporate Indigenous programming in October.
The new athletics and recreation facility at Limberlost Place is part of our exciting Waterfront Campus expansion that addresses community needs in other areas, including Mary's Place Child Care Centre, serving the local neighbourhood.
The first floor of the Athletic Centre will open on September 2 to kick off the semester, with the weight room scheduled to open in late October. Until that time, the Daphne Cockwell weight room will remain open. Carvalho said recreation and fitness activities will kick into gear in late September. Look out for their official launch details by following the team on Instagram @gbcrecreation.
