Edmonton facilities well on the way

Press, 29 October 1977, Page 60

Edmonton facilities well on the way

NZPA-Reuter Edmonton

Three of the major new facilities being constructed for the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton on August 3 to 12 have been completed and the others are well ahead of schedule, according to officials in charge of the project. Mr Hal Pawson, public relations director for the City of Edmonton, said yesterday that a $612,000 velodrome for cycling, a $459,000 lawn bowling complex and a $819,000 rifle-shooting range have already been approved by the international federations governing these sports.

The two most expensive facilities — an $18.9M stadium seating 42,385 and a $7.6M swimming pool with 1500 permanent and 5000 temporary seats — are nearing completion. “The pool will open December 2,” Mr Pawson said. “Our only problem is that the seating capacity is too small.

“The final swimming competitions were sold out in the first two days after tickets were placed on sale in Edmonton. I think the Commonwealth Games officials are trying to find ways to install more seats.” Mr Pawson said the two 50-metre pools, one an eight-

lane pool for competition and the other a six-lane pool for practice, were filled with water for final testing and no leaks or other problems were found.

The diving area includes one-metre, three-metre and 10-metre boards and can be used for water polo. Facilities for instruction of children and handicapped people are included. The capital budget for construction of new facilities, contingencies and upgrading of existing facilities was $32.4M. So far, costs were well within budget limits, Mr Pawson said. An existing 400-metre, allweather running track, the

15,000 seat Edmonton Coliseum, the 5000-seat Edmonton Gardens, and facilities on the University of Alberta campus will be upgraded as part of a commitment by Games officials to provide increased facilities for Edmonton residents after the Games.

The floodlit lawn bowling complex, which can handle up to 28 games at a time, has been finished for several months. It was the site of the Canadian lawn bowling championships last August. The velodrome, built in a ravine in southwestern Edmonton, will undergo a final inspection in a few weeks. The bicycle track will re-

main in place after the Games, but the infield area will be available for tennis and other sports.

The shooting range will accommodate skeet and trapshooting and small-bore rifle competition. Additional shooting competitions will be held at the Sarcee range in Calgary, 290 km south of Edmonton.

The showpiece of all the facilities will be the stadium. It has been built so that a roof can be added later. The stadium will be the home of the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football (Canadian-style) League.