Xstrata floats some cash

Xstrata Nickel has made the single largest donation to date to develop the Northern Aquatic Centre on Ramsey Lake.

The mining company is making a $1-million contribution to build the 16,000-square-foot facility that will accommodate the Sudbury Canoe Club, Sudbury Rowing Club and Sudbury Dragon Boat Festival.

The project includes the creation of a 1,000-metre race course along the boardwalk that could ultimately attract major provincial and national canoe and kayak events.

Marc Boissoneault, director of Xstrata Nickel Sudbury's smelter, said the company's commitment to the project matches its basic values.

"The basic values of Xstrata Nickel revolve around health, safety, environment and community," he said

"We've really taken some steps forward in terms of increasing our involvement in the community and targeting certain projects that are community-building. "

The $6-million facility will be constructed in the Bell Grove area and allow the clubs to purchase and store more boats and expand programs.

"I'm looking forward to a new building where people can come down and do something more than pull a boat out and go in the water, where they can socialize, where committees can meet," said Jim Dickson, chairman of the Aquatic Centre steering committee.

Organizers are hoping the $1 million from Xstrata and $500,000 from the city is what they need to secure provincial and federal funding. Specifically, they're awaiting a response after making funding applications to the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund and FedNor.

If funding falls into place, organizers are planning to break ground by the fall and construct the building by next year. The building itself will blend into the natural surroundings and be constructed using stone and wood on the outside.

"We can't expand the programs because there's no place to put equipment," Dickson said about the building's current limited capacity.

"We can't start new programs there's no space to operate from. Administratively, we have a tiny room upstairs where half a dozen people try to squeeze in on a daily basis in the summer."

lstradiotto@thesudburystar.com