Turf in 2010
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Turf 2010 - It's Up to You!
Dear Royal City Youth Soccer Member:
You have an opportunity right now to make a difference in your community.
Over 1200 New Westminster children are relying on you to let our Mayor and Councilors know that the number one Parks and Recreation priority in 2010 has to be the building of a second turf field in the City.
Don't assume that someone else is going to do this job because apathy will ensure that nothing happens.
Now is the time to act. Now is the time to send an email or to phone our elected officials. If having a decent facility to practice and play games on in our community is important to you, then it's critical that your voice be heard. Your voice is important. If you have enough time to register your child for sports, if you have enough time to watch, to support and cheer, if you have enough time to volunteer, to coach, or to manage, then you have enough time to let our elected officials know what is important to you.
New Westminster has incredible sports and recreation legacies. Queens Park Arena, Queens Park Stadium, the Arenex, Canada Games Pool and Mercer Oval are all part of our community and knit together the fabric of life in New Westminster. We're asking you to take the time NOW to help create another lasting legacy for our community. A second turf field isn't a luxury; it's a necessity to ensure the availability of safe and secure field space for all community groups.
Why is now so critical? The answer is that between now and August, Parks and Rec will be coming up with their budget for 2010. By convincing Council that a new turf field is a necessity in 2010 and not further down the road, we can ensure that our children will have this new facility in short order and we will have a 365 day a year field for all users. Procrastinating will only delay the process and there is no reason for the delay.
This undertaking really is up to you. Without a strong voice from RCYSC this project may not get pushed to the top of the list. Don't count on other parents to make their views known. This is your City, and your club and you need to be heard. We need you. Because of the current economic climate, the Federal Government has earmarked funds for municipal governments to improve or create new recreational infrastructure. We need the City's commitment so that we can apply for this funding. This critical recreational facility could be constructed and completed with a significant contribution from the Federal Government but only if we act NOW!
Here's where we need you to let your views be known. Below is the list of Mayor and Council for the City of New Westminster. Both email and phone numbers are listed and they need to hear directly from you regarding your support for getting a second turf field built. Every voice counts. If you believe this is the right direction for our City, please take the time to let our elected officials know. Your letter or phone message doesn't have to be long or even eloquent, just registering your request is important enough. Remember the children are counting on you - It's Up to You!
If you are going to call your Mayor or Council, please direct your calls on the weekends between 10-4.
Mayor Wayne Wright
(604) 527-4522
wwright@newwestcity.ca
Councilor Jonathan Cote
(778) 773-1364
jcote@newwestcity.ca
Councilor Bill Harper
(778) 227-4869
bharper@newwestcity.ca
Councilor Jaimie McEvoy
(604) 522-9114
jmcevoy@newwestcity.ca
Councilor Betty McIntosh
(778) 773-0546
bmcintosh@newwestcity.ca
Councilor Bob Osterman
(604) 521-7603 (home after 5:00 PM)
bosterman@newwestcity.ca
Councilor Lorrie Williams
(604) 521-3416
lwilliams@newwestcity.ca
Please encourage anyone else who supports sports and recreation in the City to make their views known as this is not only a field for RCYSC. This will be a legacy that will benefit everyone in New Westminster. Pass this message on and have our voice be heard.
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Turf in 2010 - Update (5) 10:31 AM 12/7/2009
RCYSC executive member Shawn Cody has again been in contact with the City of New Westminster (Councillor Jonathan Cote) to find out the status of the grant application.
Mr. Cote took the time to reply as follows:
Hi Shawn,
Thank you for the email. The position I have taken on the artificial turf field is that the city cannot live for a minute without an
artificial turf field. I am hopeful that the new school can been built without impacting either the Massey Theater or Mercer Field.
I also agree with you that we
need to be looking at creating more artificial turf fields. We have started the budget process for next year. The preliminary capital budget does include a new artificial
turf field, but at this point it is contingent on grant funding (which unfortunately is still outstanding). Even without the grant funding, I think the city needs to move
forward with creating additional turf fields.
Feel free to give me a call.
Thanks,
Jonathan
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Turf in 2010 - Update (4) 7:51 PM 07/01/2009
RCYSC executive member Shawn Cody has been in contact with the City of New Westminster (Councillor Jonathan Cote and Dean Gibson, Director of Parks, Culture and Recreation) to find out the
status of the grant application. Mr. Gibson has taken the time to reply and is still optimistic. RCYSC is thankful to the City for the continued support. As per Shawn's request, here is
Mr. Gisbson's detailed reply.
Dear Mr. Cody....Councillor Cote has forwarded your e-mail regarding artificial turf fields to me and asked that I
provide you with an update on the status of the "Turf in 2010" project.
As you are aware, this past June I provided City Council with a report outlining the status of sport field development in New
Westminster. This report outlined an approach to dealing with future growth in the community and outlined the current challenges
facing the field sport community. As a result of this report, Council directed staff to report on how sport field development fits
into the City's capital plans, how the funds from the Provincial grant (awarded several years ago) for City projects at the NWSS site
might be utilized, and to identify other sources of funds and related alternatives to fund sport field development.
City staff have subsequently submitted a grant application to the Recreational Infrastructure Canada (RInC) Program for the conversion
of the Queen's Park South Field into Artificial Turf. It is our understanding that this application is still being considered by the
Federal Government. We have received funding under this same program for the New Westminster Youth Facility and Mercer Stadium Track
replacement. An application has also been submitted for Moody Park Arena (for facility improvements). I am of the understanding that
we will likely hear news on the Sport Field and/or Moody Park Arena within approximately the next month.
I am also undertaking a review of the feasibility of private sector "sponsorship" for artificial turf sport fields as an additional
source of potential funding.
The Parks, Culture & Recreation Department's capital budget submission for 2010 will include a line item for the conversion of Queen's
Park South Sports field to artificial turf. The current capital plan proposal is contingent upon the receipt of the Federal Funds
supplemented by Provincial Funding (redirected from the City projects related to the reconstruction of NWSS), Youth Soccer funding
(already committed), and City funding. If the Federal funding is not granted, I will present other options for Council to consider to
allow this project to move forward. City Council will be deliberating on the Capital budget project between mid-November and the end
of December.
It may be premature to meet until such time as there is certainty regarding the application to the Federal Gov't for project funding.
Should you need clarity on any of the above points, please feel free to contact me at any time.
Regards,
Dean Gibson
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Turf in 2010 - Update (3) 10:43 AM 7/07/2009
After meeting with Councillor Jonathan Cote in his capacity as the Chair of the Parks and Recreation committee we are pleased with the dialogue and willingness of both City Council and Parks and Rec. to move forward on this desperately needed initiative. Councillor Cote recognizes the urgent shortage of usable field space and appears to be a sympathetic advocate on our behalf.
Although we are now in a short holding pattern as we wait for the outcome of the City's request to the Federal Government for funding from the Recreation Infrastructure Canada Program we are confident that with your continued support and involvement, we will be able to convince our elected officials to spend money that is already there to replace the natural grass at Queens Park South with a lit multi-use, year-round synthetic turf surface.
Please enjoy your summer, get recharged and reenergized for the start of the upcoming soccer season and stay tuned. September and October will be critical months and we will need your full involvement to grow the groundswell of support for getting turf done in 2010. This is our City and our Council and they have to recognize the urgent nature of our request. Our realistic vision is that by August 2010, we will have a top notch synthetic turf surface in Queens Park allowing us to grow our programs, to involve more youth and to build our pride in our community!
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Turf in 2010 - Update (2) 9:51 PM 27/06/2009
Mr. Dean Gibson of New Westminster Parks & Recreation presented an excellent report on Parks & Rec.'s plan for
field development to Council earlier this week.
Parks and Rec is also supporting our desire to turf QP South and it appears that their recommendation
is for the entire surface to be turfed. Their comments are: "The overall site is approximately 50%
larger than a conventional soccer field but will be able to support a much wider range of field
sport activities on a year-round basis. Preliminary cost estimates for this project are
3.17 million."
From our perspective, this expenditure will benefit a wide range of users and will likely become one
of the most well used Parks and Rec facilities in our City. There is no doubt that this will be an
amenity that will get use 365 days a year from a variety of residents.
Click here to see the complete document
On another front, the New Westminster
Newsleader (June 27, 2009) published a well written article that details our current field usage situation and
echoes comments made in Mr. Gibson's report to Council.
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Turf in 2010 - Update updated 5:16 PM 20/06/2009
The effort put forward by Royal City Youth Soccer Club members to secure a second artificial turf
field for community sports groups has received favourable responses from city council members and
Dean Gibson, the city's director of parks and recreation. In an interview in a
Royal City Record (June 17, 2009) story, Mr. Gibson noted our request was "not off base" and stated
"The demand out there certainly does exceed supply."
Parks & recreation, as reported in a subsequent Royal City Record (June 20, 2009) story,
will apply for additional funding from the federal government. RCYSC would like to acknowledge parks & recreation for taking this all important step.
RCYSC members deserve kudos for making their voices heard. Thank you for moving this issue, one that will enable more year round access to safe playing space for all outdoor sports groups,
to the forefront.
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