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First class sports facilities
Tuesday, May 7th, 2002 by GetawayBC.com
It’s easy to keep fit and stay active in Abbotsford. From swimming and skating, to hiking or running, there are groups and facilities to suit anyone’s desire.
Abbotsford’s recreation facilities received a major addition in 2009, when construction was completed on the 7,000-seat Entertainment and Sports Centre. The sparkling new $67.3 million facility hosts its first event in early May, and is set to stage a wide variety of sporting events and concerts throughout the year.
At the heart of the city is Abbotsford Exhibition Park, located at 32470 Haida Dr., where there is virtually always something happening. The spectacular facility drew the attention of the Canadian Football League’s B.C. Lions, and hosted the club’s training camp from 2006 to 2008. The Lions are set to return to Exhibition Park for the 2009 edition of their training camp.
Rotary Stadium is the park’s crown jewel. With its covered stands for almost 5,000 spectators, the stadium has been the site of the national track and field championships, and has hosted the likes of Donovan Bailey. It is also home to the elite Valley Royals Track and Field Club, and is regularly used by the Abbotsford Falcons Minor Football Association.
Exhibition Park also features a cricket pitch; a trio of fields where Abbotsford’s hugely successful minor soccer teams play; and a quartet of ball diamonds for slo-pitch and baseball. The Abbotsford Rugby Football Club also operates on the Exhibition Park pitch.
The Abbotsford BMX Society has constructed a track and has the goal of becoming the biggest club of its kind in Canada. The club hosted the Pre-World Championships in 2007 and rebuilt the track from top to bottom in advance of the event. The result is a wider, longer, more challenging course that has been described as world-class.
On the ice, Abbotsford has several quality facilities for hockey and other sports. The twin-rinks facility, Centre Ice, 3600 Townline Rd., has become the nerve centre of the hockey community. MSA Arena, 2323 Emerson St., seats 1,000 fans and is the winter home of the Abbotsford Pilots junior B hockey team.
Abbotsford Recreation Centre, at 34890 Old Yale Rd., boasts an Olympic-sized rink which is used for hockey, and is home to the Matsqui Blades speed skating club. ARC also has an indoor pool, while a $500,000 skateboard park, one of the finest in the province, sits adjacent to the facility. In 2008, ARC underwent a $24 million expansion that added 50,000 square feet to the facility. It includes two new gymnasiums and spaces for seniors, youth and families.
Abbotsford’s slate of award-winning recreation facilities also includes Matsqui Recreation Centre, located at 3106 Clearbrook Rd. Most commonly referred to as “The Wave Pool,” this indoor swimming experience has a slide, diving boards, pools of various depths and temperatures, sauna, hot tub and a shallow “beach” area where waves crash every 15 minutes.
Albert Dyck Park on Walmsley Road is another rarity. The little lake, with its steep banks, is one of the most perfect places on the planet on which to waterski.
There were more than 120 parks in Abbotsford at last count, each with its own unique facilities, ranging from basketball courts to pathways to playground equipment.
For information on Abbotsford’s recreation clubs and facilities, call 604-859-3134.;