City breaks ground on new sports field construction in northeast Calgary
Posted Apr 9, 2021 3:01 pm.
Last Updated Apr 9, 2021 3:02 pm.
CALGARY (660 NEWS) — Shovels are in the ground at the Genesis Centre outdoor artificial turf community pitch.
Located in northeast Calgary, the new artificial turf field will replace the current south natural turf field and will also see the rehabilitation of the north natural turf field.
Construction has begun on the first artificial turf field in Northeast Calgary!
I am so proud of everybody who has played a role in bringing this project to life. It has been an incredible effort from my motion to Council in 2018 to shovels in the ground today. pic.twitter.com/iE1Nc1VAgC
— George Chahal (@ChahalGeorge) April 9, 2021
The project, a first of its kind for that quadrant of our city, ticks many boxes for Ward 5 Coun. George Chahal.
“When I was first elected, I noticed that these fields were under constant repair and rehabilitation,” he explained. “That concerned me. And when I dug a bit deeper and spoke to many members of the community, they talked about the lack of good recreational opportunities, outdoor athletic fields in northeast Calgary.
“I have uncovered that we had zero out of 78 Class A or B fields east of the Deerfoot.”
The project includes upgraded lighting and will be in use, weather permitting, from April to November.
Chahal says it will also stay open for the public when not booked for games or other events.
“It’s the community hub — the heart of our community. It’s so important that in northeast Calgary we have these fields close to home. This is about equity and opportunity for our children, our families and for those seniors who have those opportunities to use those walking paths.
“The pandemic has showed us that health and wellness needs to be a priority for our city.”
Work is slated to be done by year’s end and ready for use next summer.
The project’s budget is $6 million, funded equally by the City, the Government of Alberta, and the Genesis Centre.
