It sounds like Queensborough may be a step closer to getting an artificial turf field.
The City of New Westminster has been exploring the addition of one new regulation-size artificial turf sports field, which would be created by replacing an existing grass field with an artificial turf field. Based on work with a group representing various sports field user groups, two potential sites have been short-listed — Terry Hughes Park and Ryall Park.
On April 7, New Westminster city council took its meeting on the road to the Queensborough Community Centre. There, Queensborough resident Ken Armstrong urged the city to create the all-weather field at Ryall Park.
“We're here in one of the fastest-growing parts of the city,” he said. “Twenty years ago, in 2006, census data had 5,500 people in this community. As of our last census in 2021, it was 11,000. So, Queensborough has doubled in size, and as a result, we represent about 14 per cent of the population of New Westminster.”
Armstrong said Queensborough’s population continues to grow, and he expects its population will top 15,000 people when the next census data is released. He said the neighbourhood’s growing population requires infrastructure — including an all-weather field with a walking track.
According to Armstrong, Queensborough is 5.8 kilometres away from the closest artificial turf field — a route that requires residents to travel over an often-congested bridge.
“To enable and empower the residents of this community to have access to an all-weather field that is reasonably accessible, I would submit the most pragmatic and practical choice is to have it here at Ryall Park in Queensborough,” he told council Monday night.
Coun. Daniel Fontaine asked staff to provide an update on the potential location of the artificial turf field, saying “there might be some good news” for Queensborough residents.
Dean Gibson, the city’s director of parks and recreation, said staff provided council with an update on the process last week. He said the city has just released its “what we heard” report about the finding of the recent engagement process.
“There was very, very high support for a field in the Ryall Park area. … We found the population was equally opposed to locating the site up at Terry Hughes Park,” he said. “So, the next phase of our process is moving into technical analysis.”
Gibson said that analysis will help the city to understand the feasibility of construction and the requirements to be able to deliver on an artificial turf field.
“We will be making recommendation to council later this month that we focus our attention on the technical analysis of only one site, for the sake of efficiency and expediting the work that we're doing,” he said.
While he doesn’t want to prejudge that process, Gibson said “popular opinion” is leaning towards having a field on the Ryall Park field.
“So great news tonight from the staff. Fingers crossed,” Fontaine said. “There still are, obviously, some hurdles to go through, but hopefully in a couple of years, we'll be back here, and they'll be able to see a turf and track field in Queensborough.”
