Photo of front of esports arena with large screen reading "STEAM Loyola"

St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Secondary School held a special blessing on February 10th to celebrate the opening of the St. Carlo Acutis Esports Arena 鈥� an exciting milestone for the Loyola community.  

Nicknamed 鈥淗awk鈥檚 Tech Nest鈥� by students, the arena is the first of its kind for HCDSB, and also the first high school esports arena in Canada!

Honouring St. Carlo Acutis

The arena was named after St. Carlo Acutis who is recognized as the 鈥減atron saint of the internet.鈥� As the Church鈥檚 first millennial saint, St. Carlo Acutis was canonized in 2025 and demonstrated how faith and technology can work together. 

An Inclusive Space to Collaborate and Grow 

The idea for the arena emerged in 2021 and was designed to give students an inclusive space to build community, collaborate, innovate and express their creativity.  

An old lecture hall in the school was transformed into a modern esports arena. This new arena provides students with cutting-edge technology to capture the essence of STEAM programs and power multifunctional educational activities.

Image of lecture hall steps covered in concrete
Image of empty lecture hall with dark blue flooring
Image of esports arena with wooden grey panels

Features of the St. Carlos Acutis Esports Arena听

  • Several rows of high-end desktop computers with multiple monitors for gaming and educational activities.  
  • A TV solution for broadcasting classroom sessions or esports events.  
  • Four split screens that can be used by other sports coaches, such as reviewing football game films. 
  • The capability to integrate consoles into the room, alongside other technology, to support both learning and extracurricular activities

The arena is designed to serve as a high-tech teaching space, fostering a different style of teaching where the teacher can become a facilitator and the students work on projects. It allows students to work on creative activities like designing interactive gaming experiences, Machine Learning (AI), and media arts productions. 

Additionally, the arena is also expected to support existing Specialist High Skills Majors (SHSM) programs, including Information Communication Technology (ICT) and Mechatronics. Co-curricular groups such as the Firehawks FIRST Robotics team, for example, can run simulations, produce marketing material, and leverage CAD software to manufacture parts. 

A Focus on Equity and Inclusion

Students in esports arena sitting in front of computers and tablets with Minecraft on screens

A main focus of the arena is equity and inclusion. One of the first events, 鈥淕irls in STEAM,鈥� empowered girls to use the world of Minecraft to address real鈥憌orld challenges they may face in STEAM fields. Activities like these give students a supportive space where their voices are heard and their experiences are acknowledged.

Thank you to the staff and HCDSB community who helped bring the St. Carlo Acutis Esports Arena to life. As a place of hope, creativity, community and inclusion, the arena sets the stage for students to learn and thrive in new, innovative ways.