Old Ex Renewal: Recreation and park improvements at Sergeant Tommy Prince Place

When engaging with community members on the North District Police Station (NDPS) in 2018, we heard concern about how the then-proposed construction could impact outdoor recreation facilities and greenspace. Today, we’re looking for more community input on how we could improve the nearby outdoor recreation facilities (specifically adjacent to Sergeant Tommy Prince Place) to better support continued community access to high quality park space and recreation opportunities. 

In 2021, City Council approved $5.9M in capital funding through the Recreation and Library Facilities Investment Strategy for the arena, recreation, and parks portions of the larger NDPS project. Of that amount, $900,000 has been allocated to the redevelopment of the tennis courts and greenspace. 

The Old Ex grounds are being redeveloped to provide improved services to the neighbourhoods of Dufferin, Burrows and William Whyte. Two connected projects are focused on improving the recreation and leisure facilities in the area: outdoor recreation and greenspace improvements beside Sergeant Tommy Prince Place; and the redevelopment of the Old Ex Arena with a new multi-use recreation facility and offices for Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport Achievement Centre (WASAC).  Construction is anticipated to begin in 2023.

Outdoor recreation and greenspace improvements

The outdoor recreation and sport courts at Sergeant Tommy Prince Place are at the end of their lifecycle. The tennis courts are in disrepair and the surrounding greenspace would benefit from enhancements to make the space more accessible, safe, and beautiful.  

We’re committed to improving this area and have some great ideas - basketball courts, pickleball, tennis, or a skateboard park, more seating, garden boxes or flowerbeds, and playground equipment are just a few – but we need community input to learn what best will meet community wants and needs. 

Old Ex Arena

The arena was decommissioned as an indoor arena in 2015. WASAC has been using the Old Ex Arena on a seasonal basis to provide recreational, sports, and educational programs to children in Winnipeg and from northern Canadian communities since 2010. WASAC’s offices are currently in a separate City building located on the Old Ex Grounds, but the building is in poor condition and will be removed during the construction of the North District Police Station.

The $5.9 million in capital funding for the redevelopment of Old Ex Arena is to: 

1. construct new administrative offices for WASAC;
2. insulate and reconfigure the programming space so it is suitable for WASAC’s programs and more effectively serves the community; and
3. investigate City use of the northern part of the area to support recreation services. 

The City is collaborating with WASAC on the design of offices, meeting spaces, and programming space. The initial planning and concept design work began in 2021, and construction is expected to begin in 2023. The City is exploring renaming the facility, as a Welcoming Winnipeg initiative.