 THE CITY OF ST. CATHARINES, ALONG WITH THE FEDERAL AND PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS, HAVE COMMITTED $3 MILLION FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN ARTIFICIAL TURF SPORTS FACILITY AT MCCAFFERY PARK Posted in the St. Cathrines
Standard, on June 30, 2009 St.
Catharines can build its field of dreams. The city's plans to build an
artificial- turf sports field and spectator facility at McCaffery Park got
a $2-million boost from the provincial and federal governments Monday. The
city will cover the remainder of the $3-million cost. Construction is due
to begin this fall and the city hopes to open the sports complex in the
autumn of 2010. "This truly is our field of dreams," Mayor Brian McMullan
said during the announcement at the Vansickle Road park Monday. "This will
be the premier sports complex of its kind in Niagara ... and for the first
time, we'll have a Friday night under the lights in St. Catharines." The
field will be illuminated at night and boast Canadian Football League
dimensions, or up to 136 metres by 60 metres. A building for storage and
change rooms will be built, along with bleachers. The multi-purpose field
will be available to dozens of high school and varsity teams in sports
such as football, soccer and field lacrosse. "This is going to be
enormously helpful to football players, and everyone else, too," said
Peter Partridge, a board member with the Niagara Spears varsity football
club. "When the rain comes down on a normal field, especially in the
spring or late fall, it just gets mangled," said Partridge, who also
coaches football at Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School. "On an
artificial field, it can rain all the time and it's not going to ruin the
turf." The field will be the only artificial, regulation-sized football
and soccer field in the Garden City -- as well as the only football field
with night lighting. That's important to parents as well as players,
Partridge said."This should allow us to host tournaments and play more
night games. That means parents can actually watch their kids after work,"
he said. "It also means high school kids potentially won't have to miss as
much school." The all-weather turf is also an environmental boon, said St.
Catharines Liberal MPP Jim Bradley. "This means less watering, no use of
pesticides... and fertilizer, and fewer emissions from grass cutting," he
said at the announcement, after checking out a piece of artificial turf on
display. St. Catharines Conservative MP Rick Dykstra congratulated local
sports volunteers, who have determinedly chased the super-sports field
dream for more than five years. "This has been a long and I think
sometimes arduous task for people here who have wanted to see an
artificial-turf stadium here," he said. "Hopefully, we won't have to wait
more than one season to see people playing on it." The sports field is the
latest in a string of infrastructure investments jointly announced by the
provincial and federal governments, including the city's new performing
arts centre and parking garage. "It's not the biggest in terms of dollar
value, but in terms of use, literally thousands of kids will be using this
facility on a regular basis," McMullan said. "It will truly make a big
difference."
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