New UBC Recreation Centre honours intramural visionary’s legacy

When the doors to UBC's brand-new Recreation Centre North opened on July 2, 2025, students and community members alike were greeted by the name of one of UBC's most legendary personalities.

Nestor's Gym is one of the three gyms in the new 96,000-square-foot complex. It's fitting that the founder of UBC recreation and the visionary behind UBC's world-renowned intramural program will have a lasting testament to his legacy in this new, vibrant hub for campus life.

"I am truly humbled," said Nestor Korchinsky of the naming honour. "I always liked to fly under the radar, not to really be noticed. Really, there were so many student volunteers who were doing this work alongside me, but truly I am just so humbled by this honour."

Born in Jasper, Alberta, Korchinsky was a multi-sport star at the University of Alberta, competing in football, basketball, and swimming. His skill and leadership didn't go unnoticed, and he was recruited by Bob Osborne in 1967 to coach and teach at UBC. Early in his career, he served as assistant coach of the Thunderbird football team and head coach of UBC's junior varsity basketball squad. But it was outside the realm of traditional varsity sport where Korchinsky saw the greatest need, and the biggest opportunity to make a lasting impact.

"There was limited housing on UBC's campus, so every morning thousands of students would arrive to attend classes," Korchinsky reflected. "And by day's end, they would head home. It left behind an emptiness."

That emptiness led to a pivotal moment of inspiration for Korchinsky.

"I remember I was leaving War Memorial Gym at the end of a work day, and I stepped out onto the stairs," he recalled. "I stopped in my tracks. I was struck by the vacuum—the vacuum of noise. I couldn't hear students. There was no hum of activity. UBC desperately needed something—something to hold students' attention and encourage their campus engagement outside of their classes. Literally in that moment, it ignited a passion in me to help UBC find its soul."

From that quiet moment came a revolution in campus life. As the Director of Intramural Sports from 1970 until his retirement in 2003, Korchinsky set out to build a sense of community at UBC through sport. He created a model of student involvement that has become the gold standard across Canada. With a passion for inclusion and innovation, he launched iconic events like Storm the Wall and Day of the Longboat, bringing thousands of students together in celebration of sport, teamwork, and tradition.

"Storm the Wall is a rite of passage," said Mike Tan (BHK'02), UBC's Director of Recreation. "You ask almost any UBC alumni about Storm the Wall and they will have a memory of it, whether they participated on a team, or just cheered on others as they worked to get over that iconic wall. Nestor is the one behind all of it. He pushed the boundaries with non-traditional ideas and events. He set out to give UBC a soul and he did just that."

Korchinsky's reach extended far beyond the gym. He believed in the power of communication. He launched The Point, a student-run intramural and wellness newspaper, and facilitated UBC TV, which showcased recreational life on campus. He also led the effort to build UBC's first Student Recreation Centre (SRC) in 1995, which was a crucial milestone in expanding opportunities for student activity. But his greatest contribution may be the culture of leadership and volunteerism he built. Over the decades, UBC's recreation program has had more than 3,500 student volunteers, many of whom were directly inspired through Korchinsky's mentorship.

"He created something people wanted to be part of," says Tan, who was originally one of the many student volunteers directly recruited by Korchinsky. "Anyone who worked with Nestor knows the importance of dreaming big. There's almost nothing we can't achieve when it comes to creating opportunities for students."

"Nestor was the one who first hired me," said Kavie Toor (BA'99, BEd'00, MHK'10), UBC's Managing Director of Athletics and Recreation. "I remember the first time we met. I was just shooting hoops in the SRC and he walked up and started chatting with me. He took the time to make a connection with a young student, and that led to me getting involved in UBC recreation. A lot of my key learnings came from him. He was a definitive mentor for me."

Tan and Toor are just two examples of the thousands of former UBC students whose futures were influenced and shaped by Korchinsky. Through coaching, teaching, and leading, he helped launch countless careers and perhaps met, mentored, and inspired more UBC students than anyone in the university's history. Now, UBC is poised to carry Korchinsky's legacy forward. The new Recreation Centre North more than triples the university's current fitness space and offers five times the capacity of the original centre. Rec North includes four dedicated fitness floors, three gymnasiums (including Nestor's Gymnasium), an indoor walk-run-roll track, and the largest universal change space on campus.

"The new centre is going to be a game changer for the UBC community," Toor said. "I've seen the lineups at our current fitness centre, the teams on waitlists for intramurals. There are so many people who want to be active, play on teams, and make new friends. This facility will help us meet that demand, and make more people feel welcome, included, and connected."

During the 2024-25 school year UBC Recreation had more than 2,900 intramural teams registered (roughly 25,000 individuals), but there were 900 intramural teams stuck on the waitlist. In fact, over the past three years, UBC intramurals have had more volleyball and basketball teams on the waiting list than playing. The need for expanded, inclusive, and modern facilities is real and growing.

"As we welcome the public to this new building it's a great time to pause, reflect and take pride in where we have been," Toor said. "Honouring Nestor is a big part of that. The things he made happen became proud UBC traditions. This new recreation centre is a physical legacy that's a testament to what he achieved."

The new Recreation Centre North is a shared achievement, made possible by contributions from the university, students, and donors alike.

"The AMS has been a driving force for the new Rec Centre North thanks to the funds they have contributed to this project," said Sarah Barclay (BSc'05, MSc'07), Senior Director, Development and Alumni Engagement. "We are currently looking to engage more donors for the Centre. There are still a number of naming opportunities available, and this could be an incredible opportunity to make a big impact on the community by supporting this project."

In many ways, this new facility is an extension of Korchinsky's dream—a place where students come together, try new things, and find joy in movement. And now, with his name on the wall, that dream lives on.

For more information on how to get involved and support Rec North, visit the UBC Recreation website.