Turf Field Update to Members
The Mooredale Soccer Club has struggled in recent years to find enough field space to accommodate both our house league (1302 players) and our Rep and Select teams (137 players) . In addition to Rosedale Park and Riverdale Park East, we have arranged for a patchwork of private fields that the Rep and Select teams rent, to cover the required practice times and home games. This year, we have been able to secure space at Branksome Hall (for a one year pilot project). We are also permitting some space at The Toronto French School, The Bishop Strachan School, Upper Canada College and Earl Grey Public School.
Mooredale Soccer Club was approached last June by a parent from Rosedale Junior Public School to see if Mooredale would be interested in partnering in a project to install an artificial turf field at RPS. Some parents at RPS began a process to gather information and consider the idea. In February 2010, we were approached by a parent from Our Lady of Perpetual Help School to ask whether Mooredale would consider a partnership to install artificial turf there. At this point, parents at both schools were involved in preparing initial plans and they consulted with TDSB and TCDSB officials to understand what the Boards’ process and requirements are for this kind of capital project. Since MSC has no long-term solution to the soccer field shortage for our growing Rep and Select program, the Soccer Club created a Turf Field Committee to investigate the options and make recommendations to the Mooredale Board of Directors.
Since the initial Turf Committee meeting on March 23rd, things have moved quite quickly, since all parties were interested in building a field as soon as possible, to alleviate the severe shortage of space for practices. Ultimately, Mooredale’s goal was to find a permanent space for a regulation mini soccer field (60x40yards) and in the best possible case, also find a regulation size full soccer field (minimum 100x50 yards). Our volunteers prepared a compelling business plan, showing that the rental fees we are currently paying to other locations on behalf of the Rep and Select program could be used to support a Mooredale capital contribution and modest operating costs of one and possibly two turf fields on a partnered basis.
On April 6th we received word from the Co-Chair of the Rosedale Parent Council that RPS would not proceed with a turf field at this time. We also received confirmation from the Chair of the CSAC at OLPH that they were hoping to proceed with their project.
The Mooredale Board of Directors considered a comprehensive business plan for an OLPH mini field, prepared by the Turf Committee, at their April 28th meeting and agreed to proceed with the next steps. On May 18th, Mooredale participated in an open house for OLPH parents and local residents to communicate its partnership proposal and to better understand the sensitivities of the community. Mooredale continues to prepare information at the request of TCDSB officials in order to meet their June Board meeting deadline. The final decision would rest with the TCDSB on the merits of Mooredale’s proposal relative to other alternatives and no outcome can be assured at this point in time.
Please visit www.mooredale.org and look for the Turf Field Update on the front page, to stay informed as things progress. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us by e-mailing sports@mooredale.on.ca