George Leach Centre - Algoma Thunderbirds
Photos by Dave Cottenie, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.00
George Leach Centre
Algoma University
1520 Queen Street East
Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 2G4
Year Opened: 2009
Capacity: 500
Hear the Thunder
Algoma University in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, was founded in 1965 as an affiliated college of Laurentian University. It received its charter in 2008. Algoma began athletics early on in 1969 and joined the OCAA, a conference for Ontario community colleges, in 2001. In 2013, the Thunderbirds made the big jump to the USports level, joining the Ontario University Athletics conference.
Algoma began basketball right from the beginning and currently competes in the OUA, still looking for increased success despite their disadvantages. Sault Ste. Marie is relatively remote, with Laurentian being their closest rival at an over 3-hour drive. Algoma also has the smallest enrollment in the conference at around 3,700 students. Olympic Gold Medalist in curling, Brad Jacobs, is an alumnus of Algoma.
Home for the Thunderbirds is the George Leach Centre. The on-campus athletic facility was built in 1992 and gave Algoma the opportunity to expand its athletic programs. The facility is named after George Leach, Algoma’s first Athletic Director, and contains the home basketball court, which seats around 500, and other fitness and recreation facilities. Basketball games at Algoma, like all other OUA programs, are doubleheaders with the women’s team playing first, followed by the men’s team.
Food & Beverage 1
There are no concessions sold in the George Leach Centre. There are a couple of vending machines in the lobby for snack emergencies. Soft drinks and light snacks are available.
Atmosphere 3
George Leach Centre has a brown brick and tan paneling exterior with burgundy highlights. It is located close to the south entrance of campus. The main entrance is clear, as there is an overhang with signage for the centre. Right across from the George Leach Centre, the laneway is named Team Jacobs Drive, after professional curler and Olympic Gold Medalist Brad Jacobs and his team, who went to Algoma.
Entry into the George Leach Centre brings fans into a small lobby. The lobby features the Thunderbird Wall of Fame. Some members of the Wall of Fame include George Leach, Brad Jacobs’ curling team, and the OCAA silver medal-winning basketball teams. There is also a large trophy case with quite a few artifacts. Probably the most interesting is a circa 1970’s hockey mask painted with Algoma athletic marks and presented to George Leach.
Fans will bypass the reception desk and enter the Fieldhouse at the temporary ticket desk. The Fieldhouse is a large structure with a white, peaked ceiling. The lighting in the Fieldhouse is interesting, as the lights shine up to the ceiling, giving it a skylight feeling. The Fieldhouse has a running track and enough space for three basketball courts. The Fieldhouse runs from southeast to northwest with the main basketball court in the middle, running the opposite direction, southwest to northeast. The northwest end has a skylight with the Thunderbird logo on it.
The main basketball court has portable bleachers on the southeast side for seating. Bleachers have eight rows of red, molded, plastic benches and are very simple. The seating capacity is around 500 fans. The northwest side is where the player benches are, as well as the operations and video camera. It is a little annoying that the best spot for the centre court logo is from the northwest, where there is no fan seating. There are two simple score clocks at each end, with the northeast score clock having a little more detail for basketball games.
The game-day production at an Algoma Thunderbirds game is very simple. The operations are student-run, including the PA announcer and music. There is little balance between announcements and music, and announcements are ultimately lost and difficult to understand. The Thunderbirds mascot, Boomer the Thunderbolt, interacts with fans and leads the “D-Fense” chant with a large drum from the south corner.
Neighbourhood 3
George Leach Centre is located in the East End neighbourhood of Sault Ste. Marie, on the campus of Algoma University. There are a few options for pre- or post-game food and drink in the area. Some options include Alina’s Kitchen, Soo Spice Yeti, Wacky’s, Ice, Sancho’s, and Giovanni’s. The Speakeasy is the on-campus pub.
At the top of the sports food chain in Sault Ste. Marie are the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL. Other sporting options include the Soo Thunderbirds of the NOJHL. A quick hop over the border will bring fans to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, where the Lake Superior State Lakers play hockey, as well as the Soo Eagles of the NOJHL.
Other tourist options in Sault Ste. Marie include the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre, Sault Ste. Marie Museum, Soo Locks, Ermatinger Clergue National Historic Site, and Sault Ste. Marie Boardwalk.
There are some local motels north of campus on Trunk Road. If a chain hotel is desired, then heading downtown is the best option, where the Holiday Inn and Comfort Inn are found.
Fans 3
Assessing fans in USports basketball is difficult as games are women's and men's doubleheaders and attendance figures are not normally published. For the game that was reviewed, the first game of the 2026-27 season, 150 fans were in attendance for the women’s game and an additional 100 for the men’s game. The fans in attendance are loud and supportive, especially for the second game. The acoustics in the fieldhouse are great for fans and make it seem much louder than expected.
Access 4
George Leach Centre is located on the campus of Algoma University in the East End neighbourhood of Sault Ste. Marie. The campus is on the north side of Queen Street around 1.5 km from the Trans-Canada Highway. Getting to campus from out of town is not too difficult due to its proximity to the highway. There is parking available on the west side of campus, just across from the George Leach Centre. There should be no charge to park on campus during game times. There is a booth and a sign that states $5 to exit, but this seems to apply to during business hours.
For fans wishing to take public transit to the game, there are bus stops right on campus. Fans should consult the Sault Ste. Marie Transit website for fares, schedules, and maps.
Getting around the George Leach Centre is not too difficult. The washrooms are not large, but adequate and found in the lobby. The bleachers are on the opposite side from the entry, which is not ideal for those with mobility issues.
Return on Investment 4
Tickets for the Algoma Thunderbirds are $10 with a whole host of discounts. Students get in for $5 and alumni just need $2. Algoma University students, faculty, and staff, as well as kids under 12 are all free. Like all OUA basketball programs, tickets are doubleheaders with both the women's and men's teams competing. Parking should be free, and there is not much in the way of concessions to pay for. The atmosphere is decent, although a better team on the court would go a long way to improving the return.
Extras 3
An extra mark for Algoma competing with the smallest enrollment and second smallest city population in the conference.
An extra mark for alumnus Brad Jacobs and his curling team, who have competed on the world stage.
An extra mark for the embracing of Indigenous culture at Algoma.
Final Thoughts
Although not fancy, taking in an Algoma Thunderbirds game at George Leach Centre offers good value for a very small investment. The atmosphere and fan support are surprisingly good, and Algoma does its best to compete against larger schools in larger cities.
