Park Board seeking input on improving sports fields in Vancouver

Sports fields at Empire Field of Hastings Park in Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

The quality and quantity of sports fields within the City of Vancouver is up for discussion, as part of the Vancouver Park Board’s new planning strategy to improve these facilities.

Public feedback is currently being sought on improving existing sports fields, and building new additional surfaces over the coming decade.

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This specifically involves examining priorities and phasing for replacing and renewing existing fields, identifying potential locations for new facilities, reviewing the use of natural and artificial turf surfaces, and reviewing field use allocation policies and fees.

The survey seeks feedback on what types of sports field the Park Board should focus its investments on, such as basic natural grass surfaces for casual use, covered sports fields, regulation natural grass “rectangular” fields for game and tournament play (soccer, football, and rugby), regulation baseball and softball diamonds, and all-weather gravel fields.

It also asks respondents what kind of supporting amenities they would like to see at fields, such as spectator seating, lighting, vehicle parking, bike racks, change rooms, washrooms, warm-up areas, and water fountains.

The survey is available online from now until December 14, 2021.

Input gathered from this initial phase of public consultation will be used to create a detailed draft strategy, which will go through public consultation in Spring 2022. After the draft strategy is further refined, it is expected to be presented to Park Board commissioners for final approval by Summer 2022. Actual implementation of the strategy will require capital funding, necessitating further reviews and approvals.

Synthetic Turf Playing Field Provision in Metro Vancouver, ranked lowest to highest. (Vancouver Park Board)

Artificial turf field utilization rates, 2016/2017. (Vancouver Park Board)

Planning work on this strategy builds on the recent Playing Field Upgrade project, which received input from over 2,000 people. It found a significant need for new additional artificial turf fields, and resulted in the direction of projects to install a turf playing field and lighting at Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School, and the installation of new lighting at Hillcrest Park and Kitsilano Secondary’s turf field.

In October 2019, commissioners approved a comprehensive city-wide track-and-field facilities strategy, beginning with a $7-million upgrade of Vancouver Technical Secondary School’s facility into the city’s first regulation competitive track-and-field training facility.

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