Pointe Claire makes pitch for soccer field

BY ANDY BLATCHFORD

andy.blatchford@transcontinental.ca

Pointe Claire hopes to add some playing room for its popular soccer program.

The city made an offer to a local school board last week to acquire the Upper Lindsay sports field on John Fisher Avenue.

“There’s been a soccer field there for 20 years,” Mayor Bill McMurchie said.

“We are in need of more soccer fields, so we don’t want to lose the ones we have.”

Pointe Claire offered close to $1.6 million to the Lester B. Pearson School Board for the property. The price matches the land’s municipal evaluation, city spokeswoman Ginette Brisebois said.

McMurchie said Pointe Claire’s soccer association boasts nearly 3,000 players, close to three times larger than those in some neighbouring municipalities.

“It’s a very active program in Pointe Claire,” he said.

“Because of the intensive use of the fields we’re having some difficulty maintaining the grass surfaces.”

He said the school board is looking to sell the 11-a-side pitch and the city can’t afford to lose it.

The offer was to be presented at last night’s council of commissioners meeting, Pearson secretary general Bill Stockwell said.

“It is supplementary to the needs of the school,” Stockwell said of the field.

He said the board still uses the “sloping” upper Lindsay field, but the “more level” pitch closer to the schools gets the most use.

Pearson will funnel cash from the eventual sale into its capital expenditures, he added.

Pointe Claire Amateur Soccer Association president Robin Dickson, meanwhile, was surprised to hear about the offer.

“Really? Holy smokes,” he said upon learning of the bid.

Dickson welcomed the offer because 15 per cent of the association’s matches were rescheduled last year due to overuse and wet weather.

As of last week, no games have been postponed this year because of dry conditions.

Still, the weather has made an impact, especially at Terra Cotta Park, home to some of the city’s busiest sports fields.

“With the dry spell we’ve had it’s turned to concrete,” he said. “We’re concerned about the kids getting hurt.”