The aging HVAC system at the Western Fair District Sports Centre will be getting a much needed upgrade thanks to a nearly $500,000 financial boost from the province.
The Western Fair Association announced it received the $498,800 grant through the Ontario community building fund on Tuesday.
"The support received to renovate our existing HVAC system to meet new COVID-19 public health requirements is greatly appreciated, and will help us extend the life and maximize the use of this important sport tourism and community facility as we come out of the pandemic,” Whitney Crawford, the district's director of events and recreation, said in a statement.
The Sport Centre's HVAC system is 20 years old. Upgrades being made using the newly announced funding will improve ventilation to change rooms and common use areas. Rooftop units will be enhanced to increase filter efficiency and ventilation capacity and allow air systems to be rebalanced to ensure negative air pressure conditions within individual change rooms.
"I am happy to see the Western Fair District receive this well-deserved grant from the Community Building Fund,” said London North Centre MPP Terence Kernaghan. “The Western Fair District is an important bridge between our agricultural and urban community, and this fantastic investment in proper ventilation and indoor air quality is crucial for continuing to do this safely."
The 160,000 square foot Sports Centre opened in 2001 and houses three NHL-sized ice surfaces, including one that has been retrofitted for year-round accessible sporting.
