Early Thursday morning, Victoria city councillors voted against the idea of putting grass fields into Topaz Park.
After years of planning by the City of Victoria is planning to overhaul the park in a multi-million dollar project that includes a skateboard park and bike park.
But recently, there was a sudden reversal when it came to the soccer pitch.
Councillor Ben Isitt argued putting plastic into the park was the wrong direction.
“In light of the environmental harm, and the financial impact, I think the city should aspire to do natural turf fields,” Isitt said in a council meeting last week.
But, as the only all-weather field left in Victoria, the prospect of losing the space had South Island teams and clubs panicking at the prospect of losing the only field that’s playable in rainy conditions.
“You can have 500 kids on that field. On a grass field, you can only have 50. Because if you have too many, it tears it all up. And you can’t use it for two weeks,” said John Bentley, general manager for Bays United Football Club, which plays regularly on the field.
And all those kids will still be able to play when the vote is ratified at council tonight.
#yyj committee of the whole just voted to go with turf field at Topaz Park, only dissenting councillor @ben_isitt. Will be ratified at council tonight. @CHEK_News #soccer
— Mary Griffin (@Mary_Griffin_) January 23, 2020
CHEK News
