The Aviva Centre

an indoor facility, consisting of 35,000 square feet of column-free space. The venue can be configured in a variety of ways as supplemental space to an event at the stadium, or as host to an event on its own. During the winter months, when the outdoor courts are snowbound, it is converted into four indoor courts. “So tennis is played seven days a week, sixteen hours a day, throughout the year, and that expands to the outdoor courts, once the snow melts,” says Lant. Year round, the Centre has just under a hundred employees. “The tournament may be one week during the summer, but the tasks that go into producing the Rogers Cup is a year-round business,” says Lant, “whether it be sponsorship programs, the analysis and budgeting that takes place in the fall, that swings into the planning once you get into the new year. On top of that, when we get to the summer months, there are a significant number of students, consultants, and part-time contractors that we hire to help us ramp up for the tournament requirements.” Keeping the Centre up to an ever-increasing level of high standards is always on Lant’s agenda. “We need to make sure that our facility is current, that it maintains world-class standards, and that we provide the amenities that players are looking for,” he states. “We had a significant capital program that was done last year to upgrade the locker room. As needs evolve and players have more support teams, we expanded the locker room to about twice the square footage, added sports medicine areas, and put in some amenities.” Keeping the facility current also includes upgrading its lighting system. “We’re in the process of switching all our lighting to LED,” Lant notes. “That goes beyond the offices and the outside courts that we added over the last few years, to the inside tennis courts. And we’re about halfway done.” The Centre also partners with York University for operational support, which includes participation in the school’s “green” programs and practices. Going forward, Lant says that he would like to THE AV I VA CENTRE