High-performance training facility project update
The following message was also emailed to UPEI students, faculty, and staff on July 6, 2026.
Dear Members of the UPEI Community,
I continue to be appreciative to our community—both on- and off-campus—for ongoing engagement and feedback on the development of a high-performance training facility at the UPEI Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre.
This facility is made possible through the redeployment of 3,146 square feet of space from its current use as squash courts and “Studio One” (a flexible exercise space).
Under the proposed business case, new and existing funding would cover both the renovation and annual operating costs. UPEI’s financial sustainability would not be negatively impacted by this proposal.
UPEI’s Campus Plan Update (dated January 2019) outlines that future development and investment should support an “Athletic Campus” zone and specifically notes a “High-Performance Training Centre” as part of the vision for UPEI's Sports Centre.
The current proposal for such a facility could support approximately 250 varsity and 200 club athletes by:
- Attracting new student-athletes in a competitive post-secondary/varsity sport market.
- Reducing the likelihood of student-athlete injuries and shorten recovery times should they occur.Allowing collaboration, training, and research opportunities for students and faculty in UPEI’s kinesiology (and likely other) programs.
- Enhancing training opportunities for community stakeholders such as Sport PEI members and provincial sport organizations.
- Allowing for a formal relationship with the Canadian Sport Institute to support the development and high performance of PEI and UPEI athletes and coaches. (PEI is the only province without one.)
As last reported in our March communication, UPEI committed to a competitive process to determine whether the proposed facility is achievable within the funds available for purpose: a final evaluation factor determining whether this project proceeds. Based on two preliminary estimates, UPEI is now confident that it can successfully initiate the project within funds available for purpose.
I can now report to the UPEI community that this project will proceed. For this reason, it is expected that UPEI’s current squash courts and “Studio One” will be taken offline on or about August 1, 2026, as we begin site preparation work.
UPEI is excited about the potential benefit of these changes, grounded in UPEI's mission and values, to our student athletes; academic (including research) enterprise; and community stakeholders. To learn more about our UPEI student-athletes and their successes on and off the field, pitch, court, ice, track, and course, please read the stories on https://www.upei.ca/ar/varsity-clubs
Sincerely,
Tim J. Walker
Vice-President, Administration and Finance
