The Rouge Valley Community Recreation Centre officially opened in Scarborough and is Toronto’s first net-zero community aquatic facility and the first in Ontario to achieve the Canadian Green Building Council’s Zero Carbon Building Certification.

The building was designed to operate entirely on electricity. Solar panels on the roof generate both heat and electricity, while additional panels are integrated into the exterior walls. Heat pumps use outside air to help warm the building in winter and cool it in summer. Together, these features reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lower utility bills.

The 94,000-square-foot space, located in Joyce Trimmer Park, also features the city’s first indoor cricket pitch, a 25-metre swimming pool and a leisure pool, full-size gym, child care centre with space for 62 children, a teaching kitchen, dance and fitness studios, and multi-purpose rooms for community programs.

The call for a new community recreation centre in northeast Scarborough emerged from the City’s Parks and Recreation Facilities Plan, which flagged the area as a high-priority gap. The space was designed through extensive public consultation, so its programming reflects the diversity of the communities it serves.