Centennial Park Pan Am BMX Centre explained

Stadium Name:Centennial Park Pan Am BMX Centre
Address:256 Centennial Park Road
Toronto, Ontario
M9C 5K6
Coordinates:43.6549°N -79.5952°W
Owner:City of Toronto
Built:2013–2015
Opened:2015
Seating Capacity:2,000 (temporary)
Tenants:2015 Pan American Games
Dimensions:350-metre, four straightaways, three banked turns

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.

Description

Prior 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.

The BMX facility cost to build[1] [3] and features a 350metre track in a closed loop design consisting of four straightaways, three banked turns, and multiple jumps. The track includes two start ramps; an 8metre starting platform for professional and international competitions and a 5metre 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

YearDateEventLevel
2015June 14BMX Canada Cup Series Round #2National – UCI – C1
2015July 10–112015 Pan American GamesInternational
2016July 9–10BMX Canada Cup Series Round #5 & #6National – UCI – C1
2017July 8–9BMX Canada Cup Series Round #3 & #4National – UCI – C1
2018July 14–15BMX Canada Cup Series Round #2 & #3National – UCI – C1
2019July 6Canadian BMX ChampionshipsNational – UCI – C1
2019July 7BMX Canada Cup Series Round #1National – UCI – C1

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: BMX enthusiasts aim to jump over stereotypes. Lorinc. John. The Globe and Mail. January 18, 2011. June 19, 2021.
  2. http://www.toronto2015.org/lang/en/the-games/sport-program/cycling-bmx-track-road-mountain.html Cycling 2015 Pan American Games
  3. http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2013/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-59582.pdf Toronto 2015 Pan Am Report
  4. Web site: Archived copy . 2015-07-17 . 2015-07-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150720135731/http://www.toronto2015.org/venue/centennial-park-bmx-centre . dead .
  5. http://www.canadiancyclist.com/dailynews.php?id=20727 Toronto Deputy Mayor Rejects Proposed Pan Am BMX Site, Velodrome Still Not Confirmed
  6. http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2011/01/17/16923961.html Pan Am bike course survives challenge