A late look at the Official Opening of Bateman Community Centre

By Pepper Parr

June 2,  2026

BURLINGTON, ON

This is one of those occasions where “better late than never” would apply.

I suppose there had to be an official opening.

Whoever set up the event decided it was an occasion to celebrate.

Public takes part in the celebration of a site that cost them $100 million

The Mayor kept calling it a milestone event.

The conversion of what was once Bateman High School is the most expensive development the city has undertaken.  It exceeded the cost of the Pier, which was built twice.

Bateman High School was determined to be surplus by the Halton District School Board (HDSB), which made it available.  Other school boards, the city and other organizations were able to acquire the property if no one else wanted it – commercial operations, which everyone assumed meant developers could bid on the property.

Tim Commisso, who was the city manager at the time, decided that Burlington could acquire the property and create a community hub.

It was a convoluted exchange of properties.  The city owned the playing field to the west of Central High School.  The city exchanged the playing field for an interest in the Bateman property.

The place is home to a number of groups – it has yet to take on a character of its own.

They then did a deal with Brock University to have them take space on what would become the second level.

They then moved the Appleby Line Library into the new Bateman Community Centre.

The Halton District School Board took up a lot of space as well

Tech Place, a part of the Burlington Economic Development and Tourism Corporation, a not-for-profit operation that operates at arm’s length from the city took up space

The details were messy.

During the multiple meetings leading up to the closing of the deal, Alan Magi, one of the city’s Executive Director’s at the time could not utter the word asbestos – a product the site was riddled with.

The soccer field at the rear of the building was turned into a parking lot – this was when the city was talking up the use of public transit.

The Bateman Community Centre has all kinds of space for people to hang around in. Other than the library, there isn’t much that can be used. There doesn’t appear to be a way for community groups to use the gymnasiums or the swimming pool.

The design of the space is certainly not an example of the efficient use of space.  It is cavernous.  There is enough space in the area where you enter to play pickle ball.  There is nothing warm about the space.

The multiple communities that use the space don’t have much in common.

During my early tour of the place, the one thing that struck me was – there was no coffee shop or cafeteria; just a vending machine that offered different beverages.

Lots of space for people to sit around. The three gymnasiums were not in use when I toured the building a month before the Official opening.

Brock University went all out to connect with the public that attended the Official opening. For the most part, Brock doesn’t have much of a connection with the city.

Brock University has a library for its students adjacent to the public library on the ground floor.  They also have change rooms and storage space on the ground floor. A visit to the Brock space on the second floor had to be put off to another time.

The HDSB is understood to operate the space that is owned by the city.

As I read about the Celebration of the Official opening, I found myself seeing it as a wedding that was being performed for an unwed but pregnant teenager.  These things are usually done quietly in a chapel somewhere – no need to tell the world about the circumstances.

It appears that Burlington saw it as an opportunity for multiple photo ops – and with an election on the horizon, photo ops are not something you take a pass on.

Hopefully, at some point, the place will take on a character of its own – or become a white elephant that didn’t quite work out.

Tim Commisso will have to wear that one, but he has moved on.