INFRASTRUCTURE WORKS FUNDING APPROVED FOR SASKATOON'S INDOOR SOCCER CENTRE

Released on January 12, 1999

Natural Resources Minister Ralph Goodale and Saskatchewan Municipal

Affairs, Culture and Housing Minister Carol Teichrob today announced

$100,000 in funding for the Saskatoon Kinsmen/Henk Ruys Soccer Centre

under the Canada-Saskatchewan Infrastructure Works Program. The new

$4.9 million facility, funded in part by volunteer fundraising, will

be home to about 5,000 soccer playing kids and adults.



The Infrastructure Works funding, shared equally by the federal and

provincial governments, is in support of the construction of the

84,000 square foot, two-tiered, multi-purpose facility. The soccer

centre houses four 80 by 180 foot playing surfaces, 16 dressing rooms

for players and two for referees, meeting rooms, offices, first aid

room, concession and a common area overlooking the playing surfaces.



The centre is named after Henk Ruys, a member of the Saskatchewan

Sports Hall of Fame, who has dedicated much of his spare time for more

than 30 years to the sport in Saskatoon. About 200 workers in 15

subtrades were employed during the construction phase of the project.

The centre is expected to create 30 full time jobs.



"The new multi-seasonal soccer centre will help ensure that

amateur sport benefits from a high-quality sporting facility,

while attracting future events with economic spin offs for

Saskatoon," said Minister Goodale, on behalf of Ron J. Duhamel,

Secretary of State for Western Economic Diversification and

minister responsible for implementation of the infrastructure

program in Western Canada. "By funding this project through the

infrastructure program, the Government of Canada is helping to

meet Saskatoon's needs, while at the same time creating long and

short term job opportunities."



Teichrob, minister responsible for the Canada-Saskatchewan

Infrastructure Works Agreement said, "The new centre will be

Saskatchewan's first permanent indoor soccer facility. This

project is a good example of how infrastructure investment

strengthens communities. Soccer is one of the highest

participation sports in Saskatoon and the facility will be used

to host other sports and special events at the local, provincial

and national levels."



Jim Cook, president of Saskatoon Soccer Centre Inc. said, "I

would like to express, on behalf of the board and the soccer

community, our gratitude to the Infrastructure Works Program for

its assistance in seeing us complete our goal of building an

indoor soccer facility. For the last four years, soccer groups

in Saskatoon have been working hard to realize their dream. With

the assistance of teams, individuals, local businesses and the

infrastructure program working in partnership, we now have our

facility. About 5,000 people are enjoying the fruits of our

labour."



Phases One and Two of the Canada-Saskatchewan Infrastructure

Works Program are estimated to have created more than 6,000

short-term jobs, while at the same time making essential

improvements to infrastructure worth more than $360 million

throughout the province.



Federal funding for this initiative was provided for in the

February 1998 budget and is therefore built into the existing

fiscal framework. This project underlines the commitment of both

governments to establish spending priorities that will best serve

the people of Saskatchewan through efficient use of their tax

dollars.



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FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CONTACT:



Joanne Mysak

Western Economic

Diversification Canada

Saskatoon

Phone: (306) 975-5942

WD Toll-Free: 1-888-338-WEST

(9378)



WD World Wide Web site:

English - http://www.wd.gc.ca

French - http://www.deo.gc.ca



Sharleen Graf

Saskatoon Kinsmen/Henk Ruys

Soccer Centre

Saskatoon

Phone: (306) 975-3400



Russ Krywulak

Saskatchewan Municipal

Affairs, Culture and Housing

Regina

Phone: (306) 787-8887