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The University of Windsor community celebrated its new athletics facility on Tuesday, announcing the center’s new name.
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The center will be known as the Toldo Lancer Center when it opens this summer, in honor of a “generous” donation made by the Toldo Foundation to the university.
“Upon completion later this year, the Lancer Center will be Southwestern Ontario’s premier, state-of-the-art sports complex,” said university president Robert Gordon Tuesday.
“I am pleased to announce the gift from the Toldo Foundation to the Lancer Center building project. This extremely generous gift and meaningful donation to the University of Windsor will establish the new building’s official name, the Toldo Lancer Centre.”
The Toldo Lancer Center will include a triple gymnasium with seating for 2,000 people, an indoor running track and an eight-lane, 25-meter pool, as well as several multi-use spaces and a fitness center for other recreation programming.
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The Toldo Lancer Center is named for Anthony P. Toldo, a local entrepreneur and philanthropist dedicated to supporting local causes, especially health-related pursuits, through his namesake Toldo Foundation. His son, Tony Toldo, is now at the helm of the foundation since his father’s death in 2009.
“Most of my memories of the university date back many years when I was a young student walking the halls and roaming the campus, but it certainly has changed since those days,” said Toldo at Tuesday’s announcement, noting his family’s continued belief in giving back to the community.
“My father’s fingerprints are here as well too… Today, the Toldo Foundation is proud to partner again with the University of Windsor on this grand new capital project, the Toldo Lancer Centre. TLC will not be just a great asset for the students and faculty of the university, but it will be a great asset as a community hub as well.”
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The hope is the center will become a hub not just for the university but Windsor and Essex County at large, with community use of the space, including the pool, welcomed when it opens this summer, university officials said.
The total project cost is about $73 million, and the center is on track to be complete and open to the community this summer, with an opening celebration planned for the fall. University officials did not reveal the amount of the donation from the Toldo Foundation during Tuesday’s announcement.
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The Lancer Center won’t be the only building on the University of Windsor campus bearing the Toldo name: The Toldo Foundation also helped build the Anthony P. Toldo Health Education and Learning Center, home to the university’s nursing faculty.
“The Toldo Lancer Center will be a mainstay for sport activity and recreational programming in the region,” said Linda Rohr, the dean of the university Faculty of Human Kinetics.
“I have every confidence, whether you are a high-performance athlete, a participant in intramural sports, or simply keen to learn about health and wellness, the Toldo Lancer Center will provide all members of the campus and surrounding community with leading edge programs and services.”
