The Branksome Hall Athletics and Wellness Centre is nearing completion at Mount Pleasant Road and Elm Ave. This splendid complex of specialized facilities for students and alumnae is generating much excitement and anticipation on the Rosedale campus and in the community. Julia Drake, executive director of communications and marketing for the school says the official opening will probably slip into January of 2015. This will permit what Branksome is calling “a year of firsts” which will coincide with the beginning of the second semester. Over the months, the students and school families will celebrate milestones such as the first spin around the dance studio, the first basketball game in the gym and the first pizza that comes out of the new pizza oven. The impressive centre contains a gymnasium, two saltwater pools, yoga and dance studios, a high-performance fitness centre, meeting spaces, an erg room for rowers and a dining hall that seats 300. The building takes advantage of the especially beautiful setting of the building where rooftop terraces and a green roof will overlook the Rosedale Valley ravine.  In updating the status of the centre Ms Drake recalled the distinction it received in December 2013 when the design was recognized with the Canadian Architect Award of Excellence. “We appreciate the amazing creativity and attention to detail of our architects, MacLennan, Jaunkalns Miller Architects,” she said. “We are also grateful to our construction firm, Gillam Group, which worked hard to try to keep us on schedule during one of the harshest Toronto winters I can remember.” Artists renderings from top: Finished view from Mount Pleasant and Elm Ave., the Dining Court Hearth, the Fitness and Competition Pools and the Stairway to the Rooftop Terrace.