The beam signing ceremony at the North Bay Community and Recreation Centre marks a proud milestone in the construction journey, celebrating the collaborative spirit and forward-thinking innovation that define this first-of-its-kind facility.

Located at the Steve Omischl Sports Complex, the new facility is not only a hub for community recreation but also a model of environmental innovation. EllisDon is proud to lead the design and construction of what is anticipated to be, pending certification, Canada’s first arena to achieve the Canada Green Building Council’s Zero Carbon Building – Design Standard. This milestone highlights EllisDon’s leadership in sustainable infrastructure, aiming to set a benchmark for innovation and environmental responsibility that will help shape the future of public facilities across the country.

Building Responsible Infrastructure

The North Bay Community and Recreation Centre is expected to be the first arena in Canada to achieve Zero Carbon Building – Design Standard certification, made possible in part by a $25.7 million investment from the Government of Canada’s Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program. While this certification was a requirement set out during the City of North Bay’s bidding process, the project team delivered beyond the baseline expectations—raising the bar for public infrastructure in Canada through documented performance improvements. This forward-thinking approach not only advanced sustainability goals but also helped unlock significant federal funding, ensuring that the enhanced environmental performance was achieved in a way that maximized long-term value for the community.

Through a progressive design-build approach, the project team—led by EllisDon in close collaboration with J.L. Richards & Associates (JLR) and BBB Architects—proposed and implemented a suite of advanced sustainability strategies that went well beyond the minimum requirements. These innovations helped cut operating energy by 26% and nearly halved carbon emissions compared to conventional designs.

EllisDon’s technical leadership brought together a range of high-performance systems and materials that contribute to the facility’s targeted net-zero carbon status and long-term operational efficiency. These include:

• CO₂-based ice plant enabling high-grade heat recovery.
• All-electric mechanical systems for space and water heating, eliminating on-site heating combustion.
• Cold water flooding with de-aerated water for improved ice quality and reduced energy demand.
• Nail-laminated timber ceilings and a highly insulated, airtight envelope.
• Solar-ready roof and battery-ready electrical service.
• Triple-glazed windows and optimized daylighting.
• Full thermal partitions between hot and cold zones.
• Low-emissivity rink ceiling to reduce radiant heat transfer.

For the community, the benefits are tangible. A net-zero carbon facility means lower long-term operating costs, healthier indoor air quality, and a reduced environmental footprint. It also sets a precedent for future public infrastructure, demonstrating that sustainability and community development can go hand in hand.

A Closer Look at the Ice Plant

A highlight of the facility is its CO₂-based ice plant. This is a first for EllisDon and one of the first in Canada, replacing traditional refrigerants with a climate-friendly alternative.

This innovation goes well beyond cooling the rink. The plant is designed to capture and reuse waste heat, which would otherwise be lost. That recovered energy is used to warm domestic hot water and to heat the floors beneath the spectator seating and walkways. It works like a hybrid car—not only does it perform its main function efficiently, but it also repurposes energy to power other systems. In this case, the ice plant cools the rink and heats the building, all while reducing emissions and eliminating the need for natural gas in these areas.

The CO₂ ice plant is central to the building’s energy strategy, demonstrating how smart engineering can deliver both performance and sustainability.

A Legacy in the Making

This facility is more than a first in Canada—it’s intended to be a legacy in the making. It will serve generations of North Bay residents, offering a space where children will skate, families will gather, and memories will be made. It illustrates that world-class sustainability and community-focused design are not only compatible, but they are also essential to the future of public infrastructure.

As construction continues toward completion, the signed beam now stands as a symbol of pride and progress—a promise to the community and a reflection of EllisDon’s commitment to building what matters.