The Centennial Park Pan Am BMX Centre is a[1] BMX cycling facility at Centennial Park in the Etobicoke district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that hosted BMX Cycling at the 2015 Pan American Games.[2] During the games the venue included temporary seating for 2,000 spectators.
 Centennial Park Pan Am BMX Centre prior to the start of the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games | |
 | |
| Address | 256 Centennial Park Road Toronto, Ontario M9C 5K6 |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 43°39′17.7″N 79°35′42.7″W / 43.654917°N 79.595194°W |
| Owner | City of Toronto |
| Capacity | 2,000 (temporary) |
| Field size | 350-metre, four straightaways, three banked turns |
| Construction | |
| Built | 2013–2015 |
| Opened | 2015 |
| Tenants | |
| 2015 Pan American Games | |
Description
editPrior to its development, the site was an empty grass area next Centennial Park's baseball diamonds at the corner of Eglinton Avenue West and Centennial Park Road.[citation needed]
The BMX facility cost CA$4.41 million to build[1][3] and features a 350-metre (1,150 ft) track in a closed loop design consisting of four straightaways, three banked turns, and multiple jumps. The track includes two start ramps; an 8-metre (26 ft) starting platform for professional and international competitions and a 5-metre (16 ft) platform for youths and beginners.[4]
The facility was originally supposed to be built at Ontario Place but was moved to Centennial Park for unknown reasons. The move faced opposition from city councillor Doug Holyday who said "We want people to come with their families [to Centennial] and be able to sit down and have a picnic. We want to be able to walk around the place without getting hit by a baseball or run over by a bike. And that's the way the place should be."[5][6]
Upon the completion of the games, the facility was opened for public use. The facility is open from dawn to dusk daily, from May 1 to October 31, and is maintained by the City of Toronto.[4]
Major competitions hosted
edit| Year | Date | Event | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | June 14 | BMX Canada Cup Series Round #2 | National – UCI – C1 |
| 2015 | July 10–11 | 2015 Pan American Games | International |
| 2016 | July 9–10 | BMX Canada Cup Series Round #5 & #6 | National – UCI – C1 |
| 2017 | July 8–9 | BMX Canada Cup Series Round #3 & #4 | National – UCI – C1 |
| 2018 | July 14–15 | BMX Canada Cup Series Round #2 & #3 | National – UCI – C1 |
| 2019 | July 6 | Canadian BMX Championships | National – UCI – C1 |
| 2019 | July 7 | BMX Canada Cup Series Round #1 | National – UCI – C1 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Lorinc, John (January 18, 2011). "BMX enthusiasts aim to jump over stereotypes". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
- ^ Cycling 2015 Pan American Games Archived August 14, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Toronto 2015 Pan Am Report
- ^ a b "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-07-20. Retrieved 2015-07-17.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Toronto Deputy Mayor Rejects Proposed Pan Am BMX Site, Velodrome Still Not Confirmed
- ^ Pan Am bike course survives challenge