Aamjiwnaang's new multi-sports pad facility is just about complete.
The new outdoor facility is beside the First Nation's administration complex and it replaced the decommissioned basketball court at the baseball diamond area.
Chief Chris Plain said they're now just waiting on the lights before the project is officially complete.
"We have two basketball courts with the ability to convert it to a ball hockey facility. The surface has the ability to freeze in the winter so we can convert it to a hockey rink. There's also volleyball, pickleball and tennis."
Plain said the lights are little behind schedule due to COVID-19 and that they should arrive in July.
He said the sports pad was something identified in Aamjiwnaang's Comprehensive Community Plan.
"Due to the fact that we're just getting out of COVID-19 and we had a lot of inactivity, a lot of people missed a couple years of organized minor sports, we just figured that it would be an opportunity to create a safe space here in the community for people to get out and get some exercise, to play."
Council approved the sports pad back in March. Plain said it was funded by the First Nation's accrued surplus of revenue from their gaming agreement and that it cost around $400,000.
"We have 3,300 children on average down here and so we just wanted to make sure that we had a safe space for them to go out and play and enjoy recreational activates and to live a healthier lifestyle, to promote a healthier lifestyle."
Plain said the facility hosted a three-on-three basketball tournament on June 21.
Once the ball diamond is decommissioned, plans are being developed to construct a new Child and Family Services building and increased parking area.