Healthy Living Centre

The heart of a healthy community

The Brandon University Healthy Living Centre provides an ideal location for students, individuals and families to combat inactivity and get healthy together. The expanded and updated facility is a true hub for our communities — both university and local — to build healthy lifestyles through fitness, recreation and sport. At approximately 79,000 square feet, the HLC is a combination of new construction and extensive renovation to create a fresh, state of the art centre for the University, City of Brandon and surrounding areas.

The new landmark Healthy Living Centre features key elements for the promotion of varsity sport on campus, and is becoming the meeting place of choice for those who want to take advantage of a modern facility to jog, walk and work out in. The HLC is home to our nationally-recognized, award-winning BU Bobcats men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball teams. Sports fans are treated to a viewing environment that boasts over 1,000 spectator seats in the regional hard court facility, which also plays host to basketball and volleyball tournaments at the secondary school level and beyond.

When fully completed, the newly-developed facility will feature:

• Three full-sized gymnasiums
• A four-lane, indoor walking and jogging track
• A cardio fitness facility with new resistance and weight training equipment
• A new athletic therapy suite serving the needs of our athletes and the community
• The new BU Bobcats Athletics Hall of Fame
• Multi-purpose community rooms
• Refurbished classrooms
• Modern change rooms and washrooms
• Mingling/study areas
• An eatery
• Environmentally friendly and sustainable operating practices

The HLC will also be home to the innovative programming that our University is known for in the region. The HLC will be the permanent home of BU’s Mini University initiative. This is a summer program with a mandate of promoting healthy living, creative expression, scientific curiosity and life-long learning in children and youth through its day camp sessions that run throughout the summer months. Over 12,000 young people have participated in Mini U’s programming since its inception in 1984. The HLC will also provide the physical foundation and development strategies for unique, community-based therapy and patient recovery programs as well as focused fitness and wellness initiatives for our students and the members of the public.

Sustainable Futures

During the design and construction phases of this facility, sustainable and environmentally-friendly practices were implemented with the goal of achieving the LEED Silver Status at project completion. LEED stands for “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design,” and it is the industry standard for recognition of the green building rating system. Once the HLC is in full operation, this facility will be one of the most environmentally friendly buildings in Brandon. In this way, we are leading by example to promote sustainable infrastructure now, and into the future for our campus community.

Build with us

Construction and operation of the Healthy Living Centre will be driven by capital and endowment funds totaling $24.3 million.

• $12.5 million from federal, provincial and municipal governments
• $6.3 million already raised from private donors
• $7 million to be raised from donors like you!

Construction is underway and the new portion of the Healthy Living Centre will opened its doors in early 2013.

We look forward to an official grand opening in spring 2013 when we can celebrate a fully operational community facility. Stay tuned for construction updates and event announcements.

In the end, it’s a community partnership.