ABOUT HBSSC
Completed in late 2008, the HB Studios Sports Centre is a community based recreation facility located in the Town of Bridgewater on the South Shore of Nova Scotia.
In early 2007, a group of soccer enthusiasts got together to forge a path toward the construction of an indoor facility that was desperately needed in the area. It took them just six months to put together a business plan, garner the support of area municipalities, businesses and sports groups and make the proposed indoor multi-sport fieldhouse and walking track a reality.
By September, the South Shore Fieldhouse Society was able to announce the final plans. A 49,000-square-foot building would house a 200 ft x 100 ft artificial grass field and a 60-metre sprint track on the ground floor plus a top floor four-lane 209-metre oval running track. The building would also boast a geothermal system for heating, cooling and air-conditioning. The system uses heat from the earth to regulate temperatures resulting in 95% carbon reduction compared to more traditional buildings of this type.
Contributions to the cost of construction were received from ACOA, who provided $537,000, $310,000 from the Town of Bridgewater, $310,000 from the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg, $833,334 from the Government of Nova Scotia, $25,000 from the Municipality of the District of Chester, $12,500 from the Town of Lunenburg, $10,000 from the Town of Mahone Bay and $250,000 from local video game development company HB Studios, the naming sponsor, plus many smaller but crucial donations from other businesses and members of the community. The facility also qualified for a $190,000 eco grant under The Feasibility Study for Reduced Electrical Demand From Combined Efficiency Measures.
Along with the sports field, sprint track and oval running track, the completed HB Studios Sports Centre also offers a matted fitness area, a multi-purpose function room, and a lounge.
In 2013, the federal Community Infrastructure Improvement Fund provided $48,000 to increase the number of washrooms and changing rooms at the sports centre.