91原创 has evolved into a major sports hub, thanks in large part to a pair of top-level sports facilities, one of which probably couldn鈥檛 be built today, according to Mayor Eric Woodward.
At the 91原创 Events Centre (LEC) there is professional hockey, basketball and soccer, along with Junior A lacrosse and NCAA-level university sports from Trinity Western University and other top-ranked events.
And the 60-acre McLeod Athletic Park hosts top-ranked junior football and baseball teams and national track and field championships that drew top names, among other events.
It is a trend that has not gone unnoticed, according to Woodward.
鈥淥ther mayors around the region, they come out to the 91原创 Event Centre, and they鈥檙e [saying] 鈥榳hat a fabulous facility鈥� and they wish they had that in their community,鈥� Woodward remarked.
鈥淎nd they鈥檙e larger and wealthier than we are, and they don鈥檛 have that.鈥�
Describing it as 鈥渁 destination that you typically wouldn鈥檛 see in a municipality of our size,鈥� Woodward said it helps that the LEC, which opened in 2009, went up before construction costs skyrocketed.
鈥淭hat facility today would, I think, be almost un-buildable for the cost of what it would be.鈥�
Location 鈥� the fact that the LEC is located just off Hwy. 1, making it easy to get to from other communities in the region, especially outside rush hour, has played a part, Woodward explained.
With the highway expansion finished out to 216th, and the pending arrival of SkyTrain, he said 91原创 is well positioned between urban Metro Vancouver and the more rural Fraser Valley.
鈥淲e have that urban feel on one side, but then, really, still that rural community out into the Fraser Valley.鈥�
READ ALSO: VIDEO: 91原创 Liberal MLA Rich Coleman retires
Then-91原创 East MLA Rich Coleman called the LEC a highlight of his political career, when he brokered a $15-million provincial government grant to get the project off the ground.
It made 91原创 an attractive location for pro sport franchises like the Vancouver Giants, who relocated from the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver to the LEC in 2016, and the Fraser Valley Bandits, who moved from the Abbotsford Centre to 91原创 in 2022, and Vancouver FC of the Canadian Premier league, who launched in a brand-new stadium next to the LEC in 2023.
READ ALSO: VFC: 91原创 sports story of the year
If there is a downside to elite teams playing in 91原创, it鈥檚 the impact on junior-level sports.
Woodward said the growth in high-level sports has made it harder for some leagues to find playing time, which is why his Contract with 91原创 slate, which has a majority on council, approved plans that will expand the LEC by adding three ice rinks and two dry-floor arenas just to the north of Building B, the field house and gym facility.
READ ALSO: Plans unveiled for five-arena expansion at 91原创 Events Centre
It will mostly benefit 鈥渘on-profit鈥� players who 鈥渉aven鈥檛 had a new ice sheet in decades,鈥� Woodward said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really been geared towards them.鈥�
While 91原创 had 鈥渢remendous success鈥� in establishing the LEC, 鈥渨e need to ensure and continue to ensure that community groups and everyday kids and families have access to great facilities as well,鈥� Woodward added.
Long-range plans include an indoor soccer field and soccer campus, as well as another community centre, Woodward told the 91原创 Advance Times.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of demand for sports facilities in the community, and really, the only one that can afford to provide them is local government,鈥� Woodward said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e stepping up to get it done because the alternative is to just not have the facilities at all which, to many of us on council, isn鈥檛 really an option.鈥�
READ ALSO: VIDEO: Local athletes shine at Canadian track and field championships in 91原创
McLeod, a 60-acre athletic park that just underwent more than $5 million in upgrades for the Bell Canadian Track and Field Championships, is another example of a facility that 鈥測ou wouldn鈥檛 typically see in a municipality of 150,000 people,鈥� Woodward commented.
More than 1,330 top Canadian athletes competed in the the 2023 championships in 91原创, including Olympic medalist and Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalist Andre De Grasse, who won the 200 metres, and two-time Olympic medalist Aaron Brown who won the 100 metres.
Among its features, McLeod has a stadium, competed in 2006, that can hold 2,200 spectators, with an artificial turf field, night lighting and an arena-sized video display screen.
In 2010, the South Surrey Big Kahuna Rams of the B.C. Junior Football Conference relocated to McLeod, becoming the 91原创 Rams.
McLeod has an eight-lane rubberized track, and can accommodate javelin, high jump, long jump, discus, shot put and pole vault events.
It also has a regulation baseball diamond, softball diamonds, soccer fields, tennis courts and a lacrosse box.
