The role of arenas and recreation centres during emergencies is taking centre stage at the Ontario Recreation Facilities Association (ORFA)’s annual symposium this week.

The two-day event brings together recreation leaders from across Ontario to discuss how community facilities can be better prepared to respond during disasters, including wildfires, floods and prolonged power outages.

ORFA says recreation centres often become critical community hubs during emergencies, serving as evacuation centres, warming and cooling centres, and information hubs for residents displaced by disasters.

The symposium will also examine whether Ontario’s aging recreation infrastructure is equipped to handle emergency situations. Topics include extreme weather response, retrofitting facilities for emergency use, community event safety, cybersecurity risks and lessons learned from recent disasters.

Much of Ontario’s recreation infrastructure was not built with emergency management in mind. It is also aging with many facilities built more than 50 years ago and lacking amenities needed in an emergency. Can the facility keep the lights and heat on during a multi-day power outage? Can it provide safe indoor air during wildfire smoke or extreme heat? Are entrances and washrooms accessible? Is there a place to charge phones? Are there showers, toilets and places to prepare and refrigerate good? Are staff trained to convert an arena into an evacuation centre? These are critical questions for governments and communities to evaluate.

— ORFA, via a news release

Among the examples highlighted is Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay, which was used this summer to help accommodate people displaced by wildfires across Northern Ontario. The association says the facility demonstrated how recreation infrastructure can be quickly repurposed to support communities during a crisis.

ORFA says investing in recreation infrastructure is also an investment in public safety, with many facilities serving an essential role when emergencies strike.