RIM Park: Difference between revisions

{{refimprovemore citations needed|date=June 2017}}

'''RIM Park''' is a {{convert|500-[[|acre]] (2&nbsp;km²)|km2|lk=in|adj=on}} city [[park]] facility offering both outdoor and indoor amenities at 2001 University Ave. East, which is on the northeast side of the city of [[Waterloo, Ontario|Waterloo]], [[Ontario]], [[Canada]], near the Eastbridge neighbourhood. Key facilities and features include the Manulife Financial Sportsplex and Healthy Living Centre, the heritage [httpElam Martin farmstead,<ref name="ElamMartin">{{cite web |title=Elam Martin Farmstead, 680 Woolwich Street |url=https://www.waterloohistoricwaterloo.ca/enbuildings/scrapbook/scrapbook680woolwichstreet |website=HistoricWaterloo.aspx?sbcom |accessdate=VIvpPY2QHs5QTAfa2G4WtweQuAleQuAlApril Elam Martin farmstead]2, 2020}}</ref> The Benchwarmer sports bar, and the [[Grey Silo Golf Course]]. The eastern edge of the park borders on the [[Grand River (Ontario)|Grand River]] for 1.5&nbsp;km, and the park grounds hosthave about {{convert|7&nbsp;|km (4 miles)|mi|abbr=on}} of asphalt trail loops.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |url=http://www.waterloo.ca/en/gettingactive/rimparktrails.asp?_mid_=358 |title=RIM Park Trails |website=www.waterloo.ca|language=en|access-date=2017-03-March 25, 2017}}</ref>

In the planning stages, the multi-amenity park had been called Millennium Recreation Park, however the name RIM Park was chosen to acknowledge the large contributions from its primary donor, the employees of [[BlackBerry (company)|Research In Motion]] (RIM) (now doing business as BlackBerry Limited since January 2013<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/rim-just-changed-its-name-to-blackberry-2013-1|title=RIM Just Changed Its Name To BlackBerry|work=Business Insider|access-date=2017-03-March 25, 2017|language=en}}</ref>), who contributed $2 million in 2001.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://thecord.ca/the-making-of-an-intelligent-city/|title=The making of an intelligent city|date=December 9, 2009-12-09|work=The Cord|access-date=2017-03-March 25, 2017|language=en-US}}</ref> The up-front cost of building the park was $56.7-million, most of which was financed by a lease-style loan. Parts of the park opened in June 2001, and the grand opening was held on November 3, 2001.

RIM Park's Sportsplex houses 4 Olympic-sized ice pads with 36 large players' dressing rooms, and 6 officials' dressing rooms with showers. For hosting indoor events, the rinks are covered and have a 1000-person capacity per rink.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |url=http://www.waterloo.ca/en/gettingactive/manulifefinancialsportsplexandhealthylivingcentre.asp |title=Manulife Financial Sportsplex and Healthy Living Centre - |publisher=City of Waterloo|website=www.waterloo.ca|language=en|access-date=2017-03-March 25, 2017}}</ref>

RIM Park is home to [http://www.waterloo.ca/en/gettingactive/the-benchwarmer.asp?hdnContent=&hdnPage= The Benchwarmer] (a full-service Restaurantrestaurant and Sportssports Barbar), The Dugout (the main concession, featuring a variety of fast-service spots that offer beverages, snacks, full meals, and treats), and On the Go (quick snacks and warm beverages).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.waterloo.ca/en/gettingactive/foodandbeverage.asp|title=Food and Beverage - City of Waterloo|website=www.waterloo.ca|language=en|access-date=March 25, 2017-03-25}}</ref> For events, RIM Park also offers [http://www.waterloo.ca/en/gettingactive/foodandbeverage.asp catering services and custom packages].

The [https://www.wsm.ca/ Waterloo Sports Medicine Clinic] (WSM) has been in operation since 1986, with one location at the University Square Plaza, and their other location opening in 2001 at RIM Park.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.wsm.ca/|title=Waterloo Sports Medicine Centre - Kitchener Waterloo, Ontario, Canada - Waterloo Sports Medicine|website=www.wsm.ca|language=en|access-date=2017-03-March 25, 2017}}</ref> WSM currently has aboutserved over 90100,000 clients,<ref name=":2" /> and offers custom foot orthotics, massage therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, pilates training, sport biomechanical analysis, sports nutrition, and sports psychology.<ref name=":1" />

There are a total of 22 outdoor sporting facilities at RIM Park: 12 multi-purpose fields with nighttime field lighting (including 2 international-sized artificial turf fields and 4 natural grass fields), 6 official ball diamonds with fencing and portable bleacher seating, and 4 sand beach-volleyball courts.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=http://www.waterloo.ca/en/gettingactive/outdoorsportsfacilities.asp|title=Outdoor Sports Facilities - |publisher=City of Waterloo|website=www.waterloo.ca|language=en|access-date=2017-03-March 25, 2017}}</ref> These facilities received funding from the [httpWaterloo Minor Soccer Club.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.waterloounited.com/about/wmsc-history/ |title=WMSC History |publisher=Waterloo Minor Soccer Club]. |accessdate=April 2, 2020}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> The outdoor area has a playground, player benches, spectator seating, a pavilion, washrooms, accessible parking, and a one-kilometre walking/running loop.

There are two main ecological areas that the RIM Park land encompasses: an east [[floodplain]], and a west [[Upland and lowland|upland]] system;<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.waterloo.ca/en/gettingactive/environment.asp|title=Environment - City of Waterloo|website=www.waterloo.ca|language=en|access-date=2017-03-March 25, 2017}}</ref> since both of these environments are regularly disturbed, they provide an ideal habitat for weedy, invasive, non-native species. This type of intact, native floodplain community is an increasingly vanishing and thereby valued ecosystem.

The [[Waterloo, Ontario|City of Waterloo]]'s [http://www.waterloo.ca/en/living/greenlab.asp GreenLab] pavilion is located at RIM Park's outdoor sport-field facilities. The project teaches people about environmental best practices with a demonstration featuring RIM Park's water harvesting system that stores water underneath one of the astro-turf fields to water the four natural-grass fields, and is commonly used for class field-trips.<ref>{{Citecite web |title=City of Waterloo: GreenLab |url=httphttps://www.waterlooclean50.cacom/enprojects/livingcity-of-waterloo-greenlab/greenlab.asp |titlepublisher=GreenLabDelta -Management CityGroup of Waterloo|websiteaccessdate=www.waterloo.ca|language=en|access-date=2017-03-25April 2, 2020}}</ref>

RIM Park grounds offer about {{convert|7&nbsp;|km (4 miles)|mi|abbr=on}} of asphalt trail loops partially alongside the [[Grand River (Ontario)|Grand River]]. The trails also access the [httpWalter Bean Trail.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.waterloo.ca/en/gettingactiveliving/walterbeantrailtrails.aspaspx Walter|title=Trails Bean|publisher=City Trail].of Waterloo |accessdate=April 2, 2020}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

RIM Park is situated amidst two of Waterloo's key heritage points. The perimeter of the Park's area borders the [[Grand River (Ontario)|Grand River]], which was designated as a [[Canadian Heritage Rivers System|heritage river]] in 1994<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.grandriver.ca/en/our-watershed/Heritage-River-Designation.aspx|title=Heritage River designation - |publisher=Grand River Conservation Authority |website=www.grandriver.ca |language=en|access-date=2017-03-March 25, 2017}}</ref> due to its centrality in the agricultural and industrial settlement of Ontario by European settlers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.waterloo.ca/en/gettingactive/heritage.asp|title=Heritage - City of Waterloo|website=www.waterloo.ca|language=en|access-date=2017-03-March 25, 2017}}</ref> RIM Park gives Waterloo area residents and tourists direct access to 1.5&nbsp;km (about 1 mile) of the Grand River along the eastern perimeter of the Park.

RIM Park is also home to a sixth-generation Mennonite farm house, called the [http://www.waterloo.ca/en/scrapbook/scrapbook.aspx?sb=VIvpPY2QHs5QTAfa2G4WtweQuAleQuAl Elam Martin farmstead].<ref name="ElamMartin"/> The Elam- Martin Farmstead was constructed in ~1820,<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=http://www.waterloo.ca/en/scrapbook/scrapbook.aspx?sb=VIvpPY2QHs5QTAfa2G4WtweQuAleQuAl|title=Elam Martin Farmstead - |publisher=City of Waterloo |website=www.waterloo.ca|language=en|access-date=2017-03-March 25, 2017}}</ref> and was purchased by The City of Waterloo in 1999 as part of a long-term heritage preservation plan.<ref name=":5" /> The property is currently located on about {{convert|4.5 hectacres (11 acres)|ha|acre|abbr=off}} of land incorporated into RIM Park.<ref name=":5" />

== Funding Controversycontroversy ==

The park is notorious in local politics due to the cost of its financing. A [[Mississauga]]-based company, MFP Financial Services (now [[Renasant Financial Partners]]) provided financing for the park.<ref name=":6">{{Cite news|url=https://thecord.ca/waterloo-continues-to-struggle-financing-the-rim-park-debt/|title=Waterloo continues to struggle financing the RIM Park debt|date=2010-09-September 29, 2010|work=The Cord|access-date=April 3, 2017-04-03|language=en-US}}</ref> On September 25, 2000, Waterloo council unanimously approved a lease-style loan of $48.3 million after being told that the interest rate was 4.73 per cent, and the total payout over 30 years was $112.9 million.<ref name=":6" /> More than six months after the deal closed, after an investigation by ''[[The Record (Waterloo Region)|The Record]]'', the city found out that the real interest rate was 9.2 per cent and that its total payout would be $227.7 million.<ref name=":6" />

In June 2001, the City of Waterloo filed suit against MFP, one of its sales representatives, and two companies that bought part of the debt from MFP: Clarica —now [[Sun Life Financial]]—and [[Maritime Life]].<ref name=":7">{{Cite news |title=Ironies teem at the other MFP inquiry, in Waterloo |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ironies-teem-at-the-other-mfp-inquiry-in-waterloo/article1010506/|title=Ironies teem at the other MFP inquiry, in Waterloo|work=The Globe and Mail |access-date=April 3, 2017-04-03|language=en-ca}}</ref> The matter was settled out of court in 2002, reducing the city's payments to $145.7 million over 30 years.<ref name=":7" />

A public judicial inquiry was held to look into the funding process, headed by Justice Ronald C. Sills.<ref name=":8">{{Cite webnews |url=http://www.therecord.com/news-story/4165098-rim-park-inquiry-report-10-years-later/ |title=RIM Park Inquiry report: 10 years later |lastpublisher=The Record|first=The |website=www.therecord.com|access-date=April 3, 2017-04-03}}</ref> He issued his report in October 2003, making 31 recommendations.<ref name=":8" />

[[Category:BuildingsSports and structuresvenues in Waterloo, Ontario|Rim Park]]