As preparations continue for the opening of the Muskoka Lumber Community Centre (MLCC) this fall, the Town of Bracebridge is upgrading the Bracebridge Sportsplex.
Kubota North, based in Gravenhurst, has agreed to contribute $100,000 over the next 15 years for the naming rights to what will be called the Kubota North Wellness Centre.
Mayor Rick Maloney explained during a June 18 announcement the centre will be in what is currently the auditorium.
“This has been a project long on our list,” he said.
It will include free weights, cardio equipment, and training space.
“The wellness centre will be a welcoming and inclusive space for people from all backgrounds and abilities to utilize space and work with town staff to improve their fitness and overall health and wellness,” added Maloney.
Laura, Dave, and Brett Jackson operate Kubota North and were on-hand for the announcement.
Laura said with her husband, Dave, and son, Brett, they have made it a point to support the community they operate in.
“As our company has grown, I feel it’s only right to move forward,” she said. “Being a teacher for many years, it was important for me to teach students it’s important to give as you go.”
However, Jackson joked there is a lot of work that needs to be done to the auditorium before it’s fit for use.
“These walls will definitely be painted a different colour,” she said, pointing to the bright orange Kubota tractor that was parked behind the podium. “Orange will look much better.”
Maloney said construction on the wellness centre will start this fall, which is around the same time the MLCC is slated to open.
He added he expects it to be open by December.
“Nothing has been more pleasing, and humbling in many respects, to see the keen interest of our community that wants to be involved and engaged in all of the great, progressive things happening in the Town of Bracebridge,” he said.
