Room with a view: Water sports venue offers sweeping marine vistas.

• Author: Kelly, Lindsay
• Position: SUDBURY

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The panoramic view of Ramsey Lake from the terrace at Sudbury's Northern Water Sports Centre (NWSC) is unmatched by any other hall or conference centre in Sudbury, and it's the key feature in drawing more organizations to hold their business functions at the newly built site.

A not-for-profit umbrella organization for the Sudbury Canoe Club, the Sudbury Rowing Club, and the Sudbury Dragon Boat Festival, the roughly $5-miIlion centre opened in May after years of planning and fundraising.

Developing a central clubhouse allows the partners to expand their programs and offer a broader segment of the community a chance to participate in water sports. But to help generate revenues to keep the programs running, the upper-level banquet hall is available for rentals for everything from weddings and baby showers to business meetings and corporate sit-down dinners.

Since its opening, interest in the facility has been steady, and roughly 50 per cent of the bookings to date have been corporate, said Paula Morrow, the centre's communications coordinator.

"We've had lots of corporate retreats," she said. "A lot of our big donors, they get a free rental, depending on the amount they've donated, and they're choosing to do a lot of retreats and meetings and AGMs (annual general meetings) here."

A wide-open space conducive to various configurations, the hall includes a fireplace for cozy cold-weather gatherings and wall-to-wall vistas of the open water and surrounding Sudbury forest.

The capacity of the hall varies: when alcohol is being served, the hall can accommodate 87 people; without alcohol and with tables and chairs, it can accommodate 102, and without tables, it can fit 129.

The terrace, which overlooks the city's second largest lake, is licensed for 60, and a barbecue is available for renters' use.

The space includes a large, full-service kitchen, with a stove, fridge, sink and expansive counter space. Clients are required to provide their own cutlery, dishes, serving utensils, and cooking vessels. Some tables and chairs are available for use, but their numbers are limited.

Morrow said as the centre undertakes its next fundraising goal, stocking the hall and kitchen with those amenities is a priority.

"It is a little pricier to rent this hall, because you're paying for the view and the brand-new building, and we know that the additional charge with bringing everything in sometimes deters people," she said. "So, if we have...