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The University of New Brunswick celebrated the official opening of The Richard J. CURRIE CENTER in Fredericton today. The world-class fitness and wellness facility is now open to the university community and general public. An architectural gem, the $62.5-million centre includes a human performance laboratory with state-of-the art equipment, free-weight and selectorized equipment rooms, a 161-metre indoor track, a sport medicine clinic, and a lifestyle and fitness assessment centre. It houses a team of researchers and partners who will focus on fitness and lifestyle assessment and evaluation, pediatric weight management, cardiac rehabilitation, workplace wellness, orthopedic surgery rehabilitation, healthy aging and much more. The Currie Center also serves as the new headquarters for UNB’s Varsity Reds volleyball and basketball teams. The impressive Performance Hall with its scenic views converts from a performance court, where the teams will play, to a ceremonial space with seating for up to 1,800 people. Additionally, the center has two full-size gymnasiums used for recreation programs, and fitness and outreach activities. “UNB’s athletic facilities now rival the best across North America,” said UNB alumnus Peter Jensen, the official opening keynote speaker and founder and CEO of Performance Coaching Inc.  “I see the Currie Center as the start of a real focus on excellence in health and wellness for the city, for the province and maybe even Atlantic Canada.” Anthony Secco, vice-president academic at UNB Fredericton said the Currie Center not only addresses the integrated wellness needs of the community, it also provides facilities for fitness, recreation and high-performance athletes as well as new space for intramural sports, sports clubs and our outreach activities. “The Currie Center elevates UNB as a leader of health and wellness in New Brunswick,” Dr. Secco said.  “It provides world-class teaching and research opportunities for our students and faculty, as well as a plethora of recreation services and programs with memberships available to the university community and the public.” Dr. Eddy Campbell, UNB’s president and vice-chancellor, said the one-hour event to celebrate the opening of the Currie Center was designed to welcome the community into the building. “This was an opportunity to showcase this magnificent facility,” Dr. Campbell said. “It was also our chance to honour our Chancellor Dr. Richard Currie, and thank the donors and workers who helped transform his vision for this building into a reality.” More than 720 individual donors and 38 sub-contractors contributed to the Currie Center, which was designed by B + H Architects, in partnership with Sasaki & Associates. The building contractor was Acadian Construction. The official opening ceremony, made possible by Friends of the University and UNB’s 225th Anniversary Patrons, featured the Atlantic Sinfonia orchestra, tenor Derrick Miller, singer/songwriter Andy Brown, fiddler Kathleen Gorey-McSorley, the 80-member Fredericton Ladies Choir, and the Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada. To learn more about the Currie Center, its donors, features and recreation services for the public, visit www.unb.ca/currie For more information, contact: Jennifer Gavin Communications & Marketing University of New Brunswick (506) 453-3990
jgavin@unb.ca