January 22, 2014 (Ottawa, ON) – A committed group in the nation’s capital has been pushing the idea of building an indoor velodrome there, but the city government does not support the project reports The Ottawa Citizen. This has the group looking across the Ottawa River to the prospect of building a velodrome in Quebec, possibly in Gatineau or Chelsea. A photo in the daily newspaper shows three of the velodrome backers (l-r) Peter Tregunno, Doug Corner and Kris Westwood.
The group submitted a proposal to Ottawa’s Community Partnership Major Capital Project last March, but it was denied, although Westwood says that he is not sure why. There is speculation that the municipality is reluctant to work on such a project with a non-profit group, preferring instead a well-financed private-sector partner to cover financial risk.
The not-for-profit Ottawa Velodrome Project has raised more than $25,000 to date and envisions an oval between 166 and 200 metres. The monies raised so far are to provide funding for work on site plans, etc., when that stage is reached. As previously reported, another fundraising event, Support the Stevens Racing Program and Ottawa Velodrome Project on Jan. 25, is planned for this coming weekend – read more here.
A world classs 250m velodrome is under construction in Milton, ON and is expected to open in August. That facility, being built for a cost of $56 million, will bring Canada’s number of indoor velodromes to three, including facilities in Burnaby, BC and London, ON.
List of existing velodromes in Canada:
– Argyll Velodrome, Edmonton, Alberta (333m outdoor),
– Bromont Velodrome, Bromont, Quebec (250m outdoor)
– Burnaby Velodrome, Burnaby, British Columbia (200m indoor)
– Forest City Velodrome, London, Ontario (138m indoor)
– Glenmore Velodrome, Calgary, Alberta (400m outdoor)
– Juan de Fuca, Colwood, British Columbia (333m outdoor)
– Vélodrome Caisse Populaire de Dieppe, Dieppe, NB (250m outdoor)
– Win-Del Velodrome, Norfolk County (formerly Delhi), Ontario (250m outdoor)
Pedal notes that Australia, with a smaller population than Canada and warmer winter temperatures, counts 52 velodromes according to Wikipedia. In fact, Australia has about as many indoor velodromes as Canada does total velodromes
Ottawa Citizen article here.
Wikipedia on Australia’s velodromes here.
January 23rd, 2014 at 2:42 am
I’d swear the track in Edmonton is 400 meters.
January 23rd, 2014 at 2:49 am
If I was to tell you that a world famous American track builder wanted to put a 170 meter track in an abandoned empty hockey arena in Windsor “FOR FREE” and we had a sponsor committed to pay for all the yearly upkeep and only one of the cities council people wanted it would you believe me? Talk about pigs and pearls.
January 23rd, 2014 at 7:55 am
Bring it to Quebec!
My notion is that there are so many empty industrial buildings around the West Island area that one of them is ideal, and has room for a full-sized track.
January 24th, 2014 at 2:21 am
He was going to install it for free (at his expense) because it was a portable track and he wanted to see it assembled. He said it could stay permanently in the Windsor arena if the local cycling community supported it. When the idea was turned down he actually took the full 200 meter prefab track to Cleveland and now it is a permanent fixture there.