Bring the Town Back to the Water

Marathon is building a new Active Living Centre to replace the aging Marathon Recreation Complex. We will situate this new centre on the shores of Lake Superior to help re-establish the waterfront as the hub for activity for the town. Our Vision is to develop an inclusive, multi-purpose recreation centre serving Marathon, Biigtigong Nishnaabeg First Nation, Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg First Nation, and the larger surrounding area. We will Bring the Town Back to the Water.

Why This? Why Now?

If you grew up here, you know that the recreation centre is the beating heart of any community in Northwestern Ontario. For Marathon, it was the hockey and skating rink, the pool, the community centre, the cultural centre, the fitness centre, the theatre.

But that heart was ripped out of Marathon when we had to close our aging Rec Centre. We need to build a new – and stronger – beating heart for our community and region.

Our Vision – A Community Paradise on the Water

We plan to transplant those community cornerstones into a new and vibrant Active Living Centre (ALC).

Our new, 73,000-square foot Active Living Centre will feature two swimming pools, a 1,000-seat hockey rink, concessions, gallery space, seniors’ area, and community rooms. Outside, the facility will be home to a baseball field, soccer pitches, tennis courts, and outdoor plaza with pathways to Pebble Beach and the several trail systems in the area.

With this new and upgraded recreational centre, we will develop:

• A cultural centre as well as recreation, fitness, and community hub

• A more inclusive and welcoming centre for surrounding First Nations

• Newer, safer, better facilities for all residents living within our 200 km radius

The ALC project aligns with the mandate set out in Ontario’s Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund. We want to build a new and transformative facility to replace our aging Rec Centre.

A Unique Facility for a Unique Location

We live in a wonderfully unique corner of the world. Marathon, Biigtigong Nishnaabeg First Nation, and Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg First Nation are all situated where the Boreal Forest, the Canadian Shield, and Lake Superior meet. The new Active Living Centre embraces and intertwines the spirit of all three natural wonders, and their remarkable beauty provides a stunning backdrop.

Marathon is also at the intersection of cultures. Our new ALC will reflect the Indigenous history of the area by placing an emphasis on traditional materiality, traditional practices, and land-based education. We are working together with Biigtigong Nishnaabeg First Nation in a partnership of trust and respect, striving to establish and maintain a harmonious working relationship. For those who have lived in this culture, the ALC will be a welcoming space. For those who have not, the ALC will be a place to learn and understand the history of the land we live on and the culture of its peoples who have lived here since time immemorial.

Our Guiding Principles

• Bring the Town Back to the Water
• Amplify Natural Features
• Reconnect with the Surrounding Landscape
• Activate the Waterfront
• Celebrate Indigenous Heritage
• Articulate the Industrial Footprint

Our overall goals are to:

• Use the Active Living Centre as a driver for waterfront development, stimulating the local economy and putting Marathon on the map.
• Empower health and wellness for individuals and groups with a wide range of recreational, cultural, and contemplative programming.
• Heal the existing natural environment and restoring the ecology on site.

Positive Impacts

• Community Support – Serving Marathon, neighbouring First Nations, and communities within 200 km; built by local and regional suppliers.
• Economic Development – A significant investment in critical legacy community infrastructure initiative representing a $56-60 million impact in the area. (See below.)
• Inclusive Partnerships – Marathon continues to build more partnerships with surrounding First Nations. This inclusive project strengthens those relationships with a collective vision.

A Major Economic Development Generator for the Area

Our new ALC facility will also be a major economic development generator for Marathon, Biigtigong Nishnaabeg First Nation, Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg First Nation, and the surrounding area. This project will create almost 200 jobs in the area plus an additional 200 elsewhere in Ontario totalling almost $35 million in income. It will add $24 million to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) locally, and another $25 million provincially. Much of that will be related to the construction project itself, but the ALC will also impact areas such as food and beverage, retail trade, information and cultural industries, hotel stays, healthcare, and education in our area for years to come.