Boulders Climbing Gym will be able to upgrade the older half of the facility thanks to a $1 million grant.
The gym located at Stelly’s Secondary School opened its older half in 2005, and this section no longer has the terrain required for athletes to effectively warm up.
The funding is coming from the province’s Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport destination development fund and will help local climbers and athletes who come from around the world to train at the facility.
“Our government is really pleased to support this,” B.C. Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport Lana Popham said. “This facility is very meaningful to the community that it sits in, but it’s also very meaningful to the province of British Columbia. This funding is going to go a long way. I cannot wait to come back and climb and play around in the new facility.”
The goal of the renovations and upgraded terrain is for the gym to once again host and organize national and international events.
“Thanks to the provincial funding, we’re going to be able to update what we offer and deliver the kind of world-class facilities needed for international competitions,” Boulders chair Kimanda Jarzebiak said.
Construction is scheduled to start in May 2024.
“This will benefit the entire climbing community here in B.C.,” Jarzebiak added. “This gym is able to have an impact thanks to the ongoing partnerships with Stelly’s Secondary School, the Saanich School District, the District of Central Saanich and the Province of B.C. We’re thankful for the support now and through the years.”
The facility is open to the public on evenings and weekends and is even used as a training facility for Olympic hopefuls.
“The gym welcomes community members of all ages, trains elite athletes, provides opportunities for international competition and welcomes visitors from around the world,” Popham said. “Sport competitions encourage participants and fans to travel, to stay in our community, enjoy our local restaurants and buy from our local businesses.”
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