Two new artificial turf fields will be coming to Nanaimo to support a variety of sports.
They will be in Harewood Centennial Park, which has been the focus of a number of improvement projects in recent years. Other upgrades include
It’s a collaboration between the federal, provincial, and municipal governments along with the Nanaimo-Ladysmith school district – who are all chipping in on the budget, which sits a hair under $5 million. The province is picking up the bulk of the bill with $2.5 million, with the city next, chipping in $1.1 million. Rounding it out, the feds are paying $750 thousand, and the school district adding half a million.
In a release, the city says this is welcome news for Nanaimo, where growing participation in sports and the city’s ever-rising population have put a strain on the usage of existing fields.
“While many City fields suffer from overuse, artificial turf fields provide year-round access and higher hours of use that increase playing opportunities to the various sports groups in the community,” says the release. “With Harewood Centennial Park located near a high school, there will be excellent year-round access to physical education classes and school sports teams.”
The design for the project is still in the planning stages, with construction expected to start in April 2023 and completion slated for August 2023.
What is known about the design is that there will be two multi-sport fields, lighting so games can be played after dark, covered benches for players and officials, and areas for spectator seating.
“The improvements we have seen so far at Harewood Centennial Park have already provided great benefit to our families,” says chair of Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools, Charlene McKay. “With the addition of two artificial turf fields, lights and spectator seating, our student athletes will now be able to play in a professional setting that is safe and complementary to our West Coast weather.”
