Climate change or global warming - call it what you will, but Prince George will remain a winter city for the next 300 years or so.
Like it or not, life at the 53rd parallel will continue, for the indefinite future, to mean snow on the ground for six months out of every 12. And snow on the ground means sports like soccer, football, track and field, baseball and softball have to take a break. Then there's the fact that when they are in season, the windows of opportunity close much too quickly for the liking of the participants.
When the Northern Sport Centre - complete with a 280-metre track and a fieldhouse suitable for year-round soccer, football, baseball, etc. - opened in 2007, it was a game-changing addition for local sport groups. When winter did blow into town, groups could move indoors and continue to play and train.
Now, there is a groundswell of support for a new facility in Prince George and this one would be of the indoor/outdoor variety.
From financial and logistical points of view, the project is completely doable and every effort should be made to ensure that it happens. Even with the NSC and all that it offers, the city (which is projected to experience a population boom in the near future) is still short on recreation space in the winter months. And the bonus of this new venue would be artificial turf that would require very little in the way of maintenance and would be usable in an outdoor setting longer into the fall each year.
So what are the details on this facility that would work so well in Prince George? Let's get to them in a moment. First, some background info.
For the past couple years, the Prince George Youth Soccer Association has been talking about the need for additional indoor playing space - for soccer obviously, but for other sports as well.
Meanwhile, for an even longer period of time, the Prince George Minor Football Association has been advocating for an artificial turf field so that games could be played in cruel-weather months like October and November without any worry about chewing up a vulnerable grass surface.
And then there's the Prince George Track and Field Club, which, in early January, went before city council to request that the deteriorating track at Masich Place Stadium be resurfaced. The same night at city hall, there was talk about the stadium's infield grass, which is also in rough shape (partly because of usage by football groups) and getting progressively worse. The idea of an artificial surface was raised and city staff was directed to facilitate a discussion among stakeholders to determine the best course of action moving forward.
Options for Masich Place would include artificial turf (fake grass) or an all-weather field (a hard dirt and gravel-like surface perfect for wet conditions) but really, neither of these are suitable for the track and field throwing events of discus, shot put, javelin and hammer throw. So, for the sake of the PGTFC, natural grass is still best.
All of this leads nicely into the concept of a new indoor/outdoor facility with artificial turf, and the above three groups have been in contact with each other on the subject. Such a venue would meet the needs of soccer and football groups, take some stress off the Masich Place infield, and allow the track and field club to continue to use that infield for its throwing events. And, of course, it would greatly enhance sporting and recreation opportunities for the community in general.
The timing for discussion of an addition to the sporting landscape is perfect because the city is currently developing a Community Services Master Plan, which will help council identify and support recreation priorities in Prince George over the next 10 years.
Now, the details on the potential facility.
In the PGYSA's view, the ideal structure would be like the one built in Toronto between June and November of 2012 for a cost of a little more than $5 million. That venue is called Monarch Park Stadium and it's truly a thing of beauty.
Briefly, the specs are: a full-sized, artificial turf soccer field that can also be used as a football field (NFL dimensions, not CFL); a four-lane, 370m track with a polyurethane running surface; a full, state-of-the-art lighting system; and an inflatable dome-style roof that can be removed for the outdoor season. Monarch Park includes washroom and change facilities and a studio space that can be used for things like yoga and spin classes.
For a YouTube video on the construction and features of Monarch Park Stadium, visit pgysa.bc.ca, scroll down to the Community Services Master Plan banner and click on the link for the PGYSA vision. Then, scroll down again and click on the YouTube link. Guaranteed, you'll be impressed by what you see.
With a $5 million price tag, a Monarch Park style of facility in Prince George wouldn't be financially outlandish. Conceivably, the cost could be shared by the province, city, local businesses and user groups. Assuming the 2015 Canada Winter Games leaves some legacy money behind, perhaps those funds would also be available.
Possible spots for an indoor/outdoor complex include the field on Massey Drive between Masich Place Stadium and Prince George secondary school, Rotary Fields, the North Cariboo Senior Soccer League fields and the area behind Michelle Lamarche Fields currently used by the city as a snow-dump. But, essentially, all that's needed is an open chunk of land.
With a Community Services Master Plan in the works, the time is now to give serious consideration to a project like this. If political will and community support mobilizes behind the idea, Prince George's version of Monarch Park Stadium could be built in six months.
After that, it would serve city residents long into the future.
Maybe even for 300 years.
