Kitchener indoor rec complex named after multi-million dollar donor

A massive recreation centre in Kitchener has a new name.

During an announcement on Monday, Kitchener council announced the state-of-the-art recreation complex, which is 222,000 square foot and under construction at RBJ Schlegel Park, will be named the Cowan Recreation Complex. The FIFA-sized indoor turf fieldhouse will also be named the Cowan Fieldhouse.

The new name comes following a $2.5 million donation from the Cowan Foundation, which is being called one of the “most significant private contributions to recreation in the city’s history.”

“This project will have a real and lasting impact on youth in our community,” said Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic during Monday’s announcement. “It will help us create and maintain a space where young people can come together to develop new skills, build friendships and stay active through sport and physical activity.”

The new facility is located at 1955 Fisher Hallman Rd., with shovels first going in the ground in June 2024. The $174 million project is beginning to take shape, with the exterior walls of the aquatic centre, gymnasium, and indoor FIFA-sized field nearly completed.

In a statement, the city says close to 30 local sports organizations, including soccer, basketball, volleyball, and cricket, will be able to use the facility and expand their programming.

“This increased capacity will help reduce or eliminate waitlists and improve youth access to sport across the region,” said the statement.

In total, the city has received close to $30 million from the provincial and federal governments for the construction of the facility, including $18.1 million from the provincial government and $11.7 million from the federal government.

When completed, it promises to be a net-zero carbon facility, allegedly one of the most sustainable recreation complexes in all of Canada.

The Cowan Recreation Centre is scheduled to open for the first time by the end of 2026.

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