Federal government commits $9.8M to Canada Soccer training centre project in Vancouver

The federal government has announced $9.8 million in funding for early-stage work on a proposed national training centre for Canada Soccer in Vancouver.

According to a federal announcement made Friday, the funding will support the design, planning and pre-construction phases of the project. Secretary of State for Sport Adam van Koeverden and Housing and Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson outlined the investment at a news conference in Vancouver.

Van Koeverden said the funding is aimed at developing a high-performance training facility for athletes, adding the project is intended to strengthen Canada’s ability to train players who can compete internationally. He also said the centre is expected to expand access to soccer for youth and help connect local communities to the sport.

Canada Soccer CEO Kevin Blue described the federal contribution as an important step forward for the project. However, the federal funding represents only an initial portion of the overall cost.

According to project estimates, the full development is expected to cost between $200 million and $300 million. It is not yet clear what additional funding sources will be used to complete the project or what timelines have been set for construction.