Ontario Construction Report staff writer
PCL Constructors Canada Inc. (Toronto) has celebrated completion of MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment) Foundation’s youth focused facility MLSE LaunchPad at an unveiling event on Jan. 26
“As MLSE, LaunchPad’s construction management partner, PCL is proud to celebrate completion of the project and we congratulate MLSE Foundation, Toronto Community Housing and the City of Toronto on their inspiring vision for this groundbreaking community development project,” Jim Dougan, PCL president of Eastern Canadian operations, said in a statement.
PCL’s scope of work involved fitting out 42,000 sq. ft. of shell space into classrooms, sports courts, a teaching kitchen, climbing wall, change rooms, washrooms, offices and storage, as well as completing upgrades to mechanical and electrical spaces.
Beyond the bricks and mortar, PCL will be recognized by MLSE Foundation as a building partner and will be listed on the facility’s Donor Wall of Fame for pledging more than $1 million to construction with support from its trade partners, who will also be individually recognized for their fundraising efforts, including:
- Sprint Mechanical
- Anco Contracting
- L&L Painting and Decorating
- Limen Group
- SC Floors
- Westpoint Construction
- Plan Group
- Merit Glass
- Northwood Surfaces
- Guide Woodworking
- Maple Terrazzo, Marble & Tile
“We would like to commend our trade partners and suppliers who not only played a key role in bringing this transformation to life, but who brought MLSE Foundation’s vision even further to reality by donating funds to support construction of the project,” Dougan said.
Attended by nearly 400 donors and guests, the unveiling included an official first hockey goal with Toronto Maple Leafs’ alumnus Shayne Corson, first basket with Toronto Raptors’ alumnus Jamaal Magloire, and first soccer goal with Toronto FC alumnus Dwayne De Rosario.
MLSE LaunchPad will be the first collaborative space in North America to leverage sport, education and research to promote social change. Once the intended site of a community roller rink, the first level of the Toronto Community Housing apartment complex sat vacant for two decades until this visionary project was realized.