April 2, 2007

The UNBC Board of Governors has approved a number of agreements thatdetail the long-term operations of the Charles Jago Northern SportCentre.

The master agreement between the City of Prince George, UNBC, andNorthern Sport Centre Ltd. (NSCL) solidifies the relationship betweenthe partners for an initial period of 30 years. It also commits boththe University and the City to contribute $300,000 per year towards theoperating costs of the facility. These are adjustable over time andwill be offset by user fees.

The capital funding agreement acknowledges that the City and Universityare each committing $5.125 million towards the capital constructioncost of the facility. The remaining $20.5 million is being covered bythe Government of British Columbia.

The operating agreement between NSCL and the University identifies UNBCas the operator of the NSC, responsible for providing services andprograms in the facility as well as its operation and maintenance. Thisagreement is for an initial 5-year period.

Additional agreements cover the provision of sport medicine servicesand training/testing space for PacificSport Northern BC. PacificSportis the provincial agency responsible for high-performance sport and theacquisition of sport medicine services in the facility (to be providedby Davis Rodriguez Physiotherapy of Prince George) will expand theprogramming that will be provided in the NSC. PacificSport is alsoworking with UNBC researchers and Northern Medical Program faculty tobuild the capacity for research and physiological testing in PrinceGeorge. An operating business plan for the Northern Sport Centre hasalso been prepared, outlining facility-rental fees and revenueprojections.

The agreements also require the approval of Prince George City Council before they take effect.

The Charles Jago Northern Sport Centre is a 145,150 square footbuilding currently under construction on UNBC’s Prince George campus.It is scheduled to open in September with an indoor field, elevatedtrack, three-court gymnasium, and services for high-performanceathletes. The building will be accessible to everyone.

Contact:
Rob van Adrichem, Director of Media and Public Relations, UNBC – 250.960.5622