Walsh Field will be getting a multi-million dollar makeover in the hopes of attracting high-level sporting events to town.
“The project, as it is, is a brand new $2.9 million addition to the Notre Dame Elementary School football field, including a new turf field, a completed certified IAAF track, and several outbuildings that go with it,” explained Mickey Fagnan, of the Bonnyville Amateur Football Association (BAFA).
Fagnan was in front of town council on March 28, to provide an update on the project and let the town know they're open for any kind of support council is willing to provide to help fast track the project.
Currently, the association has already extended the lease of the field from the Lakeland Catholic School District from three years to 20 years. They have also secured a key component for the build, a financial anchor. A local, anonymous donor has stepped up to the plate to commit $2.5 million to see upgrades move forward, and has already provided the first $1 million.
“The Catholic school board will track every dollar we spend so we're accountable to not only the donor, but to the town and our own association. So that's pretty exciting to have that kind of financial anchor,” said Fagnan.
With fall football season starting up in August, the goal is to have everything completed before then leaving a small window for construction. In order to meet the tight timeline, crews need to move in mid-April to remove the existing field, for the field turf to be installed mid-June and the track to come the start of July.
The field itself comes with a price tag of $1.5 million, and will be installed by FieldTurf. An internationally-renowned company, FieldTurf is responsible for a large number of NFL and CFL fields, as well as dozens of fields throughout Alberta.
“Our desire is to put a product on the field to produce something that is absolutely state-of-the-art and done professionally. When a group of soccer moms and dads come from all over the province, they're going to see something here that is rare for a town of our size to have,” said Fagnan.
At a cost of $400,000, the rubberized track will be put overtop of the current asphalt track. It will be constructed to meet the standards set by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) by PlayTech, who is also known around the world and makes all of Athletics Canada's tracks.
Currently, Fagnan explained that they're unable to host any high-level matches due to the field and track not meeting national standards. The hope is that revamping Walsh Field will allow the local football, lacrosse, soccer, and track and field associations to host competitions above just the local level. In turn, they'll be attracting thousands of people to Bonnyville over spring, summer and fall, generating a substantial revenue spin-off.
“The improvements are going to be major. Conservatively, with four major matches coming to Bonnyville it could mean 20,000 to 25,000 people rolling through Bonnyville...We have conservatively projected a $2.5 to $3 million revenue stream during those months. So not just a week of hockey, a flurry of high-level matches from those four sport disciplines,” said Fagnan, referencing a recent track meet that saw 5,000 people in attendance.
Ultimately, it will be up to each group to perpetuate their own matches, but with the caliber of athletes in Bonnyville, Fagnan has no doubt a new track a nd field would be put to good use.
The upgrades are part of a five-step plan for Walsh Field, which started last year with the installation of lighting to allow fall football games to be played into the night. Following the new track and field turf being installed, they'll be looking into getting stands to seat 1,500 people.
In addition to their anonymous donor, Fagnan previously approached MD council to inform them about the project and believes they'll be making a decision on their level of involvement soon. During his delegation to town council last week, Fagnan noted they could use assistance when it comes to clearing a development permit in a short timeframe and possibly providing equipment and manpower to speed up the project.
Though still needing the development permit application approved, the plan is to be in the ground and started towards an Aug. 1 completion before the end of the month.
