Vancouver Parks Board approves 10-year sports field strategy

VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation gave unanimous approval on recently to a 10 year sport field strategy guiding maintenance, management and development of Vancouver’s sports fields.

The board surveyed players, coaches and members of the public on what drives field and ball diamond use and what potential barriers exist to accessibility.

“Vancouver’s sport field system is a vital aspect of recreational and social life in the city. With approximately a third of parks in our system featuring a sport field, this strategy supports all users – from local residents looking for a casual kickabout to kids playing in a Little League baseball tournament – in accessing well-maintained and operated outdoor sport facilities,” Park Board chair Brennan Bastyovanszky said in a statement.

Areas for improvement highlighted include “amenity upgrades and enhancements, need for both basic neighbourhood fields and ‘hub’ facilities across the city, and focusing available capital resources on equitable access to sport fields,” a City of Vancouver release said.

The sport field strategy includes implementation of a renewed sport field classification system, an equity model for allocation, booking and permitting of fields and facilitation of spontaneous use of select sport fields and ball diamonds for residents.

Five groupings of proposed capital projects were also established:

• Renewal of existing synthetic turf fields;
• converting select all weather (gravel) fields to synthetic turf fields;
• creating hub sites (parks offering three or more quality fields and supporting amenities in a single location);
• establishing dedicated ball diamond and rectangular field parks; and
• establishing sport-specific priority fields.

“Delivering these ‘big moves’, in addition to the ongoing maintenance of Vancouver’s sport field system, will require capital funding and additional ongoing operating funding, as identified in the strategy,” the release said.

More information is available at shapeyourcity.ca/sport-field-strategy.