New soccer fields almost ready for next season

Shannon LeClair

Times Reporter

 

The Strathmore Minor Soccer Association has been looking forward to their new professional sized fields for months. Approximately three years ago Strathmore Minor Soccer approached the town looking for grants and a field location. 

Originally they had found a location at the agricultural society, in the northwest corner.  The location ended up falling through, but the association was given access to another location where they have been working on getting the soccer field set up. Like with any project, there have been a few snags along the way. 

“This summer and spring was pretty wet so that caused quite a bit of delays in getting the irrigation in so the irrigation just got finished here a couple weeks ago,” said Dennis Klem, vice-president of the association.

“We’re excited to get it to this stage and to get a little bit of time for the sod to get established here.” 

Last October, the town and developers working on the area behind Walmart, east of the Ranch Estates, were required to keep a percentage of the property as green space. Someone on council had known the soccer association had been looking for a new area for their fields, and so it was offered to them. 

The new fields, roughly 80 yards by 100 yards, have transformed drastically since the area was allocated for the fields. The scraggly grass and undeveloped area is now beginning to look like the soccer field it is meant to be. The two fields can also be split into four smaller fields for the younger teams. The project required fundraising and community support. The association fundraised to help cover costs, and there were funds put aside for soccer field development. Klem said they will be using most of those funds on the new field. They were also given a grant, which helped cut down some of the costs. 

“We got a grant for about $106,000 that the town got for us through Municipal Sponsorship grants,” said Klem. 

For the first little while there will be portable bleachers and posts. Once the field becomes a little more established permanent structures will be erected. Though the field is almost ready, Klem predicts it won’t be played on until next June.