1. Happy New Year
2. Santa Shuffle Evening Run at Kivi Park Dec 27
3. Clarity sought on pool closure
4. Friends and fun lead to Bradshaw medal boom
5. Photos This Week
6. Upcoming Events; Jan 1 Running Room Virtual Resolution Run, Feb 28 Hypothermic Half
7. Running Room Run Club Update: 
8. Track North
   

Happy New Year to all

Santa Shuffle trail run in support of Sudbury's Women's Shelter

The Sudbury Star has filed a freedom of information request seeking more information about Laurentian University’s decision to close one of Northern Ontario’s largest sports facilities.

The Star took the action after the university refused to release documents related to the extensive repairs the university says is needed to reopen the Ben F. Avery Complex and Jeno Tihanyi Olympic Gold Pool.

The request, filed under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, was sent to the Ministry of Colleges and Universities and Laurentian University.

The request was transferred to Laurentian on Dec. 22, according to the ministry.

On Dec. 14, in a move that caught many by surprise, the university announced the Ben Avery complex and Olympic-size pool required more than $10 million in repairs.

The facility will remain closed until at least April 30, Laurentian also indicated. It was initially closed on March 11, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before Christmas, the university declined several requests for further information on the repairs needed to Laurentian University’s sports complex. The Star has been seeking clarification on the condition and re-opening of the pool since June 2020.

In a Dec. 14 email to students and staff, Marie Josee Berger, provost and vice-president academic, cited a “recent report from KPGM that said high-cost maintenance issues, specifically in relation to the pool, would prevent Laurentian from immediately re-opening these facilities. The university estimates that the cost of repairs is over $10 million.”

The university did not specify what repairs were necessary; nor did it reply to an additional request for further clarification on Dec. 14.

The Star has since been seeking the KPMG report, mentioned in Berger’s email, that guided Laurentian’s decision to keep the Ben Avery Recreation Centre and the pool closed.

As well, the Star was looking to review any reports related to the filing of pool opening requests with Public Health Sudbury and District, along with reports from Physical Services or Physical Plant regarding the repairs, upgrades and other needs of the facility (including, pool, track, gym, bleachers) that might have also been shown to the KPMG auditors.

In an email before Christmas, a university spokesperson thanked The Star for its continued interest in the facility but added Laurentian would not share the requested information at the time.

The university referred The Star back to its statement.

“We will continue to update the community in the coming months,” the spokesperson wrote in an email before Christmas.

Although varsity competitive seasons were eventually cancelled across Canada, some athletes, coaches, the physiotherapy clinic, staff and faculty were granted access to certain sections of the Ben Avery facility, although not the pool.

The varsity team continues to rent pool time from the City of Greater Sudbury.

The pool is full of water that is being treated and heated to a minimum temperature, according to reports.

Laurentian said it continues to work to reopen the facilities.

“Laurentian University continues to actively seek out grants, partnerships, or capital funding that might play a role in funding the safety improvements necessary for a reopening of the Ben Avery Complex and the Jeno Tihanyi Pool,” Berger said in an email.

“We remain committed to providing students with access to quality health and wellness services, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Students residing in residence will continue to have access to the recreation activities located within the residence building.”

The Ben Avery, which comes under the umbrella of the Harquail School of Earth Sciences, is home to a variety of varsity, recreational and community programming, from aquatics to indoor track.

It’s also the site of the university’s renowned Centre for Research in Occupational Health and Safety and the School of Human Kinetics, which includes the Outdoor Adventure Leadership and health promotion programs

In her email, Berger noted that the university has spent 10 months of the pandemic connecting with the community about the Ben Avery and the pool.

“These spaces contribute to our community’s sense of spirit, fitness, and sportsmanship, and we recognize how important these facilities are to our students, our athletes and swimmers in particular, and to the broader Sudbury community,” she said.

The university cites several factors behind its “difficult” decision to keep the facilities closed, including the KPMG report, the impacts of COVID-19, the low numbers of students on campus, the emergence of the pandemic’s second wave, and the October cancellation of competitive varsity sport in Winter 2021.

Friends and fun lead to Bradshaw medal boom
Randy Pascal
2020-12-24

"I actually really enjoyed the social element of running - the results were a bonus."

But what an impressive string of results there were to look back upon, as Ryan Bradshaw returned to the days of his high-school cross-country/track career that produced no less than six OFSAA medals from 1993 to 1998.

Perhaps most impressive in the stretch that featured two teams medals and four individual podium finishes, including three in cross country alone, might be the fact that in the 21 years since Bradshaw graduated from Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School, SDSSAA representatives have a grand total of two medals from OFSAA cross-country to show for their collective efforts (Calum Passi – Bronze – Midget Boys – 2017; Devon Kershaw).

Now 41 years of age and having recently welcomed the addition of a son (Bryce) to the family fold, Bradshaw may have been as unassuming an OFSAA champion as the city has ever produced.

"I didn't even realize that I was very good, truthfully," stated the long-time GTA resident, thinking back to his very first appearance at provincials. "I had figured that winning around Sudbury was OK, but that I would get destroyed in southern Ontario. My parents didn't come to OFSAA my first year."

Born and raised in Sudbury, Bradshaw would wander his way into the high-school cross-country scene, more by virtue of friendships with the likes of Tom Salmoni, Jake Rukholm and the Kalviainen twins. "I don't even remember placing in the top ten in elementary races, maybe even the top twenty," said Bradshaw.

"But we had maybe six or seven close friends in grade nine at Lo-Ellen, so all of our training exercises were just a lot of fun. We had an element of competition between each other, but honestly, our training workouts during the week felt like more of a hangout session. I joined because I wanted to meet people."

So it was that Bradshaw attended his inaugural OFSAA race in the fall of 1993, having finished second to Joel Lavigne (Lasalle) at the cities midget boys' race. "I always went into those races nervous, which I think is pretty common," said Bradshaw. "All I remember was Terry's advice (coach Terry Moss), to focus on people around me and get into my own groove."

The game plan worked - for the most part.

"I was leading going into the final stretch," Bradshaw recalled. "I wasn't a good sprinter - never had the speed, still don't have any kind of speed. Two guys passed me. I just couldn't close it out, but it was a pretty cool experience."

It was also enough to convince his older sister Kelly that it was time to up the ante.

"She knew that I needed to be trained better," he said. "By the time I had finished my cross-country season, I was working with Dick (Moss)."

If his first OFSAA appearance was something of a blur, the same could not be said for the sequel. Because of a late birth date, Bradshaw maintained his midget status as he took to the trails in his grade ten year. He would claim first place at the pre-OFSAA race in Ancaster, besting a field almost 500 strong a few weeks before provincials.

"I think I was probably even a little more nervous my second year, just because people were talking about me," he suggested. "I guess that I knew that I had somewhat of a shot, but at the same time, you just never know."

What he did know, without a shadow of a doubt, was exactly how he wanted to tackle the course.

"We raced the escarpment," Bradshaw noted. "There was a really steep hill, a real game changer because it was towards the end of the race. Any time there was a hill on the course, it helped me out. I wanted to surge at the bottom of the hill, if I was feeling good."

Better still, Bradshaw was feeling great.

"It turned out that I opened up about a 40 second gap by the time I emerged at the top of the hill."

With his parents on hand, the northern Ontario harrier would earn gold.

And while his on-going battle with asthma, as well as the emergence of a very talented competitor from Sault Ste Marie (Matt Hayman - the pair finished one/two at OFSAA in grade 12) would mean that he would not repeat his individual gold medal performance, Bradshaw continued to enjoy success, right through to his time with the Laurentian Voyageurs cross-country team.

Unfortunately, following his sophomore season at L.U., the program was folded.

"That was kind of a nail in the coffin for the progress of my running career," said the graduate of the Sports Administration program.

Still prone to lacing 'em up and enjoying a recreational run - "I'll throw some music on and go out and clear my head" - Bradshaw remains the same social athlete that he always has been. "Some of the other runners that I knew really closely, people like Lisa Ouellet and others, they really had a drive to be top, top athletes."

That's just not Ryan Bradshaw.

Even his selection of music, a running accompaniment that he picked up maybe a decade ago, is fully consistent with the approach of a somewhat more laid-back elite level athlete. "I still have one of those old matchbox iPod shuffle things, whatever they are called, that I don't even know how to re-program," he laughed.

"Some people really like upbeat stuff, but I just want cool, relaxing tunes - sort of campfire music. I've always found that if you can shut your brain off, the pain (of running) kind of goes away anyways, and that's really what you're looking for."

At least, that's exactly what Ryan Bradshaw was looking for.

Christmas spirit from Steph and Greg and Linda and Ron

Holiday hike on Loach's path

Sunrise on Laurentian

Anne Marie's bench

Evening at Laurentian

Moonlight lookout

Duck trail

Perfect fat bike conditions

Good thundering!!!! Neil and Sara and their tradional dip