WHITCHURCH-STOUFFVILLE, ON, Oct. 30, 2026 /CNW/ -- As communities across Canada continue to grow, more spaces where residents can meet, gather, play and practice are needed to keep communities strong and healthy. To that end, the Honourable Adam van Koeverden, Secretary of State (Sport), and the Honourable Helena Jaczek, Member of Parliament for Markham--Stouffville, announced a federal investment of up to $8.75 million through the Direct Delivery stream of the Build Communities Strong Fund to construct the Ballantrae Multi Sport Complex in Stouffville.
The community and recreational dome facility will be one of the largest community-oriented sports facilities in Canada, providing 240,000 square feet of year-round, weather-independent recreation, education and gathering spaces. It will include spaces for:
- A FIFA-sized turf soccer field
- Basketball and volleyball courts
- Pickleball and padel courts
- A 400-metre indoor walking and running track
- Fitness and training areas
- Batting cages for baseball/cricket
- Multi-purpose rooms available to the community
- Classrooms and flexible learning environments
- Coding and artificial intelligence learning
- Sports medicine and wellness services
- Spectator and gathering areas
- Food services and supporting amenities
By offering a wide range of activity spaces and services, this facility will establish a regionally significant sport infrastructure asset in Stouffville. Capable of hosting provincial, national and international tournaments, and special events, the Ballantrae Multi Sport Complex will be a driver of local tourism, boosting local businesses and attracting more people to visit the area.
The facility will create new opportunities for participation among youth, seniors, families, newcomers, including persons with disabilities, neurodivergent children and youth and other underserved populations. Spaces will be fully accessible and welcoming to individuals of all ages and abilities. Modern methods of construction will help the facility reduce energy consumption, lower greenhouse gas emissions, improve operational efficiency, and support the long-term sustainability of the facility.
Construction is anticipated to begin in 2027 and will be completed in approximately eight to 10 months. The unique dome design will facilitate rapid construction and allow the facility to be built almost entirely from materials sourced within Canada. In 2025, the Town of Stouffville announced its partnership with Mentana Group to construct the Ballantrae Multi Sport Complex.
Today's announcement builds on the Government of Canada's $1 billion investment in sport, the largest in our country's history, to upgrade stadiums, fields and community centres, advance sport safe, improve access, host more world-class events, and help athletes succeed from the playground to the podium.
Quotes
"Sport has the power to shape lives and bring people together in ways that very few things can. It's in our communities where sport does some of its most important work, from local programs and leagues to representing Canada on the world stage. The Government of Canada is investing directly in the places where Canadians run, swim, play and skate; today's announcement in Stouffville will help get more Canadians participating in sport and expand opportunities to host world-class events, continuing to prove why Canada is the world's best sport-hosting nation. Together, we're building Canada Strong, from playground to podium."
The Honourable Adam van Koeverden, Secretary of State (Sport) and Member of Parliament for Burlington North--Milton West
"The Town and York Region are growing rapidly. That's generating a real need for more recreational spaces and services. With an innovative design, and the extensive use of Canadian construction materials, the Ballantrae Multi Sport Complex will help address that need, providing significant benefits for Stouffville residents and our local economy. Investing in world-class infrastructure that helps our communities and Canadian businesses is an integral part of building Canada strong."
The Honourable Helena Jaczek, Member of Parliament for Markham--Stouffville
"Congratulations to Mentana Group and everyone who has helped advance the Multi-Sport Dome. We thank the Government of Canada for its investment of up to $8.7 million through the Build Communities Strong Fund. This funding brings us closer to a year-round facility serving Stouffville and the surrounding region, providing flexible space for recreation, training and competition--from recreational participants to high-performance athletes."
His Worship Iain Lovatt, Mayor of the Town of Stouffville
"Over the past 25 years, Mentana has been building sport infrastructure that supports youth development, elite sport performance, family wellness and an active recreational lifestyle. We are deeply grateful for this investment and for the confidence it places in a project that will make a meaningful contribution to Stouffville, York Region, the broader GTA and the Province of Ontario.
"We are proud to bring this project forward and look forward to working alongside the Government of Canada, the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville, Secretary of State Adam van Koeverden, M.P. Helena Jaczek, and our community partners to make the Stouffville Multi-Sports Dome a reality."
Tony Furiato, CEO, Mentana Group Inc.
Quick Facts
- The federal government is investing $8.75 million in this project through the Direct Delivery stream of the Build Communities Strong Fund.
- Starting in 2026-27, the Build Communities Strong Fund will deliver funding through three major streams:
- A Provincial and Territorial stream, which provides $17.2 billion over 10 years, including $5 billion in health infrastructure funding over three years;
- A Direct Delivery stream, which provides $6 billion over 10 years, including $1 billion over 4 years as part of a Local Impact Stream that is being delivered by Canada's Regional Development Agencies to support community infrastructure projects with local impact; and,
- A Community stream (formerly the Canada Community-Building Fund), which provides $27.8 billion over 10 years and, indexed at 2% to deliver $3 billion per year ongoing.
- The Buy Canadian Policy is an important part of the Build Communities Strong Fund. It will help ensure that more of every public dollar goes right into the Canadian economy – creating Canadian careers, using Canadian resources, and benefiting Canadian communities.
- The Build Communities Strong Fund will help create thousands of good jobs, including careers in the skilled trades, by encouraging the use of Red Seal endorsed tradespeople, apprentices, and unionized labour.
- The Build Communities Strong Fund will be a force multiplier in infrastructure – with funding that will be matched by nearly $17 billion from provinces, and additional billions leveraged through municipal and territorial partnerships as well as private capital. The fund will also boost Canada's GDP by $95 billion over the next decade.
- Under the Direct Delivery stream, at least 10% of the funding will go towards investments in Indigenous communities.
- Project funding is subject to the signing of a contribution agreement between the Government of Canada and the recipient.
- Federal funding is conditional on fulfilling requirements, including those related to consultation with Indigenous peoples and environmental assessment obligations, if applicable.
Associated Links
- Build Communities Strong Fund
- Prime Minister Carney launches the Build Communities Strong Fund and announces the first tranche of projects
- Prime Minister Carney shares Budget 2025 plan to build communities strong
- Ballantrae Multi Sport Complex
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Web: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada
SOURCE Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
Contacts: For more information (media only), please contact: Jenna Ghassabeh, Director of Communications, Office of the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, [email protected]; Media Relations: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]; Cassandra Papas, Corporate Communications, Town of Stouffville, 905-640-1900 ext. 2444,[email protected]; Tony Furiato, Chief Executive Officer, Mentana Group of Companies, [email protected]
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