The progress on the Recreation Centre has been significant over the last month or so. One of the things that strikes visitors to the site is scale: it feels momentous. The walls are now framed, the floor poured. The construction is at a point where, when you walk through, you can visualize all the things that will be happening in this space. The basketball games, the training sessions. The mezzanine overlooks the main gym and will be open to the gym. It's easy to imagine staff and students up there, overlooking the winter formal.

The principal intention for the Recreation Centre is, of course, the elevation of the student experience. It increases indoor recreation and athletic space six-fold, and, as such, it will have a profound impact on student life. It will provide new opportunities for inter- and intra-school competition; provide a centre for wellness as part of physical education and outdoor education; and create a social hub where all students can meet informally outside of class time and in the evenings. All of that is huge.

But the facility will also provide a means for building community relationships, which is important, too. The reality of that has truly set in over the course of the summer. In July we hosted the Lake Rosseau North Association Summer Social. The facility was, understandably, a topic of conversation. The LRNA is an association of property owners from the region. Having them on campus was important, it was a means of engaging our neighbours.

We circulated a survey, asking how they'd like to be able to use the facility, from rentals to personal training. Almost 70% noted that they'd be interested in renting the facility for corporate and private events. A similar number are looking forward to joining an RLC pickleball league. Other suggested uses include camps, fitness classes, workshops, and sports-specific training. As such, the community engagement and revenue generation potential for the centre is clear.

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