2015 Pan-Am Games – BMX Competition Track

Recreation • Centennial Park, Etobicoke • Toronto, ON

A significant engineering challenge arose from the chosen site location: the track sat at one of the lowest points in Centennial Park, within an enormous drainage catchment area. Building a competition-grade dirt track on what was essentially a natural collection basin required an extensive underground drainage system and carefully coordinated civil engineering interventions. The design had to ensure the track could drain and dry within 30 minutes of a rainfall event—a strict requirement for UCI-sanctioned BMX competitions—while also meeting the water quality standards of the Toronto Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), as a designated wetland area lies immediately south of the site.

EMC Group worked closely with the consultant. (the specialist track design consultant) and the architect. (the architect) to procure approvals from the City of Toronto, the TRCA, and the Ministry of Natural Resources, ensuring the venue was fully permitted and ready for testing by Canada's elite BMX athletes ahead of the Games.

Engineering a world-class competition venue from the ground up

UCI-certified closed-loop supercross track with four straightaways, three banked turns, and competition-grade jumps

Total site area within Centennial Park, including track, start ramps, service building, parking, and spectator zones

Solving the drainage puzzle beneath the track

Maximum post-rainfall drainage time achieved through extensive underground system—a UCI competition requirement

Total project cost, jointly funded by the Government of Canada and the City of Toronto

From Pan-Am Gold to lasting community legacy

The civil engineering challenge on this project was extraordinary. The track's location at a low point within Centennial Park meant that stormwater from a large surrounding catchment naturally drained toward and through the site. A conventional surface drainage approach would have left the track waterlogged after any significant rainfall—unacceptable for a venue built to host international competition under strict UCI timing requirements.

EMC Group's design addressed these constraints through a multi-layered approach:

Planning a Recreation or Community Sports Facility?

The result was a drainage system that worked invisibly beneath the spectacle of elite BMX racing—allowing competitions and public programming to proceed reliably in all but the most extreme weather conditions.

On July 11, 2015, the Centennial Park Pan Am BMX Centre delivered exactly the experience it was built for. Before 2,000 spectators and a national television audience, Canada's Tory Nyhaug raced to a Gold medal victory—one of the most celebrated moments of the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games. The track's engineering performed flawlessly, with the integrated grading, drainage, and site infrastructure supporting a seamless event from time trials through to the medal final.

Following the Games, the facility transitioned into its intended legacy role as a public community asset. The venue remains open for elite training and public use from May through October, maintained by the City of Toronto. The permanent 5-metre start ramp alongside the competition-grade 8-metre platform ensures accessibility for younger and beginner riders, making the facility welcoming for all skill levels. As one of only a handful of BMX supercross tracks in Canada, the centre continues to host Canada Cup events and serves as a destination for the growing BMX racing community.

EMC Group is proud to have played a critical role in delivering a venue that put Canadian BMX on the world stage—and continues to inspire the next generation of riders in Etobicoke's historic Centennial Park.

Explore more projects related by sector, location, and expertise.

From international competition venues to neighbourhood parks, EMC Group delivers the civil engineering, grading, and stormwater expertise to bring your vision to reality—on time and to the highest standards.