Canada Invests in one of the Nation’s Largest Community and Recreation Centres
October 30, 2026
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.
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.
