School trustees voted last week (Jan. 24) to spend $32,000 to fix the Queen Charlotte Secondary soccer field, after hearing from coaches, players and parents that the field's current condition is substandard and unsafe.
Trustees contemplated solutions ranging from patching and filling the field (estimated at $7,500) to sodding the entire field ($66,000) to covering the surface with artificial turf ($800,000).
The option endorsed by trustees was put forward by soccer coach Jimmy Reilly, and involves rototilling a 57 metre x 91 metre portion of the field, regrading, adding 50 yards of sand, and then putting sod over the field.
Secretary-treasurer Andrea DeBucy said the most of the money for the field fix will come from the Queen Charlotte school building contingency fund, which has $26,000 left in it. The rest will come out of the annual facilities grant, she said.
The board's decision earned the gratitude of at least one parent attending the meeting, held at Port Clements elementary.
"Thank you very much for doing something about the field," said Dale Lore, whose son plays soccer on the Queen Charlotte secondary team.
Trustees said they hope the work can proceed as soon as possible.