The expanded and renovated Major Refrigeration Peach King Centre in Grimsby has officially opened, with a ribbon cutting ceremony and a community open house having been held last weekend.
The project, which cost some $36.7 million and is more than 130,000 square feet, officially broke ground in May 2024. It was partially funded by the province of Ontario, which gave the Town of Grimsby $16 million toward expanding and renovating the recreation centre.
According to the Town, the project came in under budget.
“This project has been years in the making and it is rewarding to see the expansion of the Peach King Centre fully completed,” said Mayor Jeff Jordan. “With the recent opening of the new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital, these two major projects represent a significant investment in the health, wellbeing and future of our community.”
The updated community centre built on its two existing arena ice pads and offers a wide range of new and improved amenities to support sport, recreation, and community use.
Some of the new features include a dividable double gym with an indoor walking track, multi-use community rooms, a fully equipped fitness centre and fitness studio, six pickleball courts, and improvements to the west ice pad dressing rooms.
There are also new improvements to parking, new pedestrian walkways and upgrades supporting safe access and active transportation.
Local MPP Sam Oosterhoff joined Jordan at the ribbon cutting ceremony and offered his own perspective on the milestone event.
“The grand opening of the expanded Major Refrigeration Peach King Centre is great news for the residents of the Town of Grimsby,” said Oosterhoff. “As part of the most ambitious capital plan in Ontario’s history, I was pleased to have helped deliver millions in provincial funding to support this modern and enhanced recreational space.”
“This community hub – which includes a double gymnasium, walking track, fitness centre and multi-use rooms – will help provide more services and programs, fostering healthier and more active lifestyles for families in West Niagara,” added Oosterhoff.
The new facility will be home to a wide range of programs and community users. This includes local organizations like the Grimsby Basketball Association, Grimsby Volleyball Association, and Grimsby Pickleball Association, as well as summer camps, drop-in opportunities and activities for children and youth.
According to the Town of Grimsby, the Grimsby 55+ Active Living Club will also relocate its programming from the Livingston Activity Centre.
The name for the arena and community centre, the Major Refrigeration Peach King Centre, was chosen after the company agreed to pay the Town of Grimsby $50,000 a year for 10 years for the naming rights.
Jay Goldberg is the Canadian Affairs Manager at the Consumer Choice Center. He previously served as the Ontario Director at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and a policy fellow at the Munk School of Public Policy and Global Affairs. Jay holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Toronto.
